Allegro Pulse Configuration Guide: Product Version 17.4-2019 October 2019

Allegro Pulse Configuration Guide
Product Version 17.4-2019

October 2019
Document Last Updated: July 2021
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Contents
Preface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
About This Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Related Documentation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Related Tools and Flows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Typographic and Syntax Conventions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
1
Introduction to Pulse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Deployment Environments on the Pulse Platform . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Features Leveraging the Pulse Platform . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
2
Single-User Deployment: Administration and System
Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Viewing Design and Library-Related Logs in Single-User Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Modifying Where Pulse Stores Data in Single-User Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Versioning of Pulse Data Storage Location in Single-User Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Modifying Disk Quota or Purging Data in Single-User Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Scheduling Regular Data Backups in Single-User Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Backing Up and Restoring Data Manually in Single-User Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Shutting Down Pulse in Single-User Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Designers: Connecting to Central Server and Modifying Pulse Home in Multi-User
Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
About Pulse Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Accessing Pulse Manager on Client Machines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Accessing the Settings Page of Pulse Manager on Client Machines . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Customization Options in Single-User Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Switching From Single-User to Multi-User Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
October 2019 5 Product Version 17.4-2019

© 2019-2021 All Rights Reserved.
Troubleshooting in Single-User Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
3
Multi-User Deployment: Configuration and System
Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
About Configuration Options for a Multi-User Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
About Library Management in Pulse: Managed or Unmanaged Libraries . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
About Managed Libraries in Pulse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
About Unmanaged Libraries in Pulse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Local (Project-Specific) Libraries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Configuring Pulse Multi-User Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Configuring Pulse for the First Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Running Pulse Server as a Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Pulse Server as a Service on Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Pulse Server as a Service on Linux . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Configuring the Pulse Master Node . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Defining FQDN for Pulse Master Node and Modifying Java Memory . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Modifying Disk Quota or Purging Data from Pulse Master Node . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Backing up Pulse Master Node Data and Restoring It . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Specifying Email Server Settings for Pulse Master Node . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Specifying Security Settings for Pulse Master Node . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Defining Library Management Settings for Pulse Master Node . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Defining Disk Space for All Client Machines Connecting to Pulse Master Node . . . . 64
Setting up a Test Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Managing Users in Multi-User Pulse Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Don’ts for Pulse User Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Accessing Pulse User Management Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Registering Users for Access to Pulse in Multi-User Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Assigning Roles to Users in Pulse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
About Roles in the Pulse Platform . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Configuring LDAP Sync with the Pulse Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Accessing Configuration Settings in Multi-User Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Accessing Pulse Service Manager Page for Pulse Server Administrators . . . . . . . . . 89
Creating and Using SSL Certificates in Pulse Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Modifying Pulse Master Settings After Initial Configuration and Restarting Server . . . . . 92

Shutting Down and Restarting Pulse Master Node . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92

Modifying SSL Settings for the Pulse Master Node . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Manually Modifying Files in the Pulse Master Home Directory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Creating Template-Based Projects for Use by Designers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Modifying Projects Defined as Templates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Switching from Managed to Unmanaged Libraries and Vice Versa in Pulse Master Node .
97
Configuring a Node as a Pulse Data Node . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Pulse Server Administrators: Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
PULSE_TEAM_COLLAB license count is lower than expected . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Allegro Pulse Node Starts up in Maintenance Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Preview Not Generated in System Capture After Saving or Committing a Design . 106
4
Customization Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Customizing Live BOM Headers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Customizing Unified Search . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Customizing Advanced Search Queries in Unified Search . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Customizing Properties to be Displayed in Summary Column of Unified Search . . 112
Controlling Display Order of Facets in Unified Search . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Disabling Content Providers and Managing Property Visibility in Unified Search . . 116
Configuring Outputs and Package Structure to Publish ECAD Data for Manufacturing 117
Customizing In-Design Workflows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Customizing Project Creation Form . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Customization Options for Library Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Enabling Additional Object Types in Component Database . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Enabling Part Request Process With Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Customizing Part Request Form . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Enabling/Disabling Part Requests for Specific Content Providers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
Influencing Favorable Component Usage by Designers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
5
Librarians: Managing Part Requests . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
Librarians: Adding Parts to the PLM System and Component Database . . . . . . . . . 142

6
Defining Root Directory and Creating Client Startup Script 151
Defining a Root Directory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
Creating Client Startup Script . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
Configuring Allegro EDM Flow Manager in Organizations with Controlled Computing
Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
Launching Allegro EDM Configuration Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
Configuring Sites in the Pulse-Allegro EDM Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
Adding a Site to the Pulse-Allegro EDM Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
Defining a Default Site or Modifying the Master Site . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Editing Site-Specific Configuration Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
Controlling the PCB Editor Environment in Allegro EDM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Using the PCB Editor Environment File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
How Allegro EDM Controls Environment Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Managing PCB Editor Environment Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
How Allegro EDM Uses Environment Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
Handling Manufacturing Retargetability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
7
Supporting Multiple Releases with Multi-Library Release
(MLR) Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Configuring Multi-Library Release (MLR) Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
Moving Library Development and Management to 17.4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
A
Allegro EDM Configuration Manager User Interface . . . . . . . . 187
Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Welcome Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Set up or Manage Company & Site . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
Manage Company and Site . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
Context Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Command Buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
Set up Client . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192

B
Allegro EDM Utilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
C
About tools.ini . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
Using startworkbench Variables in tools.ini . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
D
Customizing Error Messages in Allegro EDM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
E
Customizing Match Files for Archives of Model Types . . . . . 201
Customizing a Match File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Contents and Syntax of Match Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Using Operators in Match Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
F
Developing Symbol Check Rules for Footprint Verification 211
Developing Custom Rules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211
Installing Custom Rules in Symbol Rules Checking Utility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
Saving Custom Rules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
Initializing Custom Rules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
G
Configuring Design and Schematic Model Rules with Rules
Checker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
Customizing Default Rules Checker Rules for Library and Design Flows . . . . . . . . . . . 217
Configuring Allegro EDM Conf Root and Specifying Customized Rules Location . . 218
Modifying Parameters in Library and Design Flow Rules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
Modifying Severity Level in Library and Design Flow Rules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
Modifying Library and Design Flow Rules by Removing a Rule from a Rule Set . . . 224

Creating a Rules Checker Rule . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235
H
About Allegro EDM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239
About Allegro Library Manager - for Allegro System Capture and Design Entry HDL . . 239
About Allegro Data Manager - Only for Design Entry HDL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241
About Allegro Part Information Manager - Only for Design Entry HDL . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242
Understanding Design and Library Workflows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243
About Design Workflows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243
About Library Flows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244
Choosing a Flow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244
Customizing Flows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
I
Appendix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Mapping of Pulse Internal Service Names and UI Terms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Design Entry HDL Users: Server Connectivity Problems When Using Part Information
Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Indexing Libraries for Faster Part Search . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Preface
About This Guide

The Allegro Pulse Configuration Guide Describes Pulse and its configuration for different
users such as administrators and client application users.
Related Documentation
You can also refer to the following documents for more information on various tools and
methodologies in EDM:
■ For information on new features in EDM, see Allegro Pulse and Allegro EDM: What’s
New in Release.
■ To learn how to distribute libraries to designers, see Allegro EDM Library Distribution
User Guide.
Related Tools and Flows

■ For information on various PCB design working environments, such as a team of
designers working on a Design Entry HDL project, implementing FPGAs in designs,
working with high-speed constraints, importing IFF files for radio-frequency designs, and
reusing existing modules, see Allegro PCB Design Flows.
■ To learn how to create and configure Allegro System Capture projects, see the tutorial
on creating System Capture projects: Schematic Design using System Capture.
■ To learn how to create and configure Design Entry HDL projects, see Allegro Project
Manager User Guide.
■ For detailed information regarding the content and syntax of the environment files, see
Allegro PCB and Package User Guide.

Preface
Typographic and Syntax Conventions

This list describes the syntax conventions used in this configuration guide:
literal Nonitalic words indicate keywords that you must enter

literally. These keywords represent command (function,
routine) or option names.
argument Words in italics indicate user-defined arguments for
which you must substitute a name or a value.
| Vertical bars (OR-bars) separate possible choices for a
single argument. They take precedence over any other
character.
[ ] Brackets denote optional arguments. When used with
OR-bars, they enclose a list of choices. You can choose
one argument from the list.
{ } Braces are used with OR-bars and enclose a list of
choices. You must choose one argument from the list.

1
Introduction to Pulse
Pulse is a server-based ECAD data platform that funnels the data that comes in from various
authoring tools, such as System Capture, and provides that data back to the ECAD users
through multiple application services to facilitate data-driven design. Application services
include data management, version control, Publish for Manufacturing, and design analytics.
This ability to see multiple views of the same data also facilitates design reuse. Because
changes to designs by engineers are saved to the data platform, data can be easily
synchronized across systems.
The Pulse platform provides business functions such as library management, component
search, embedded data management, enterprise PLM integration, and more to the client
applications that connect to the Pulse platform. These functions run server side and are
presented to you in client applications such as Allegro System Capture, PCB Editor, APD+.
In PCB Editor, these functions are enabled only if individual board designers set the
allegro_pulse_enable environment variable.
The business functions available to administrators, front-end designers, board engineers

differ depending on the client application you are working with and the license your company

has purchased. The license and number of designers and sites in your organization
determines your deployment environment.
About Sites in the Pulse Environment
In the Pulse environment, a site can mean any of the following depending on how you
interpret the term in your organization:
■ Physical locations, such as Boston/Mumbai/Munich, or United States/India/Germany
■ It could be large teams, divided according to functional area. For example, you could
have sites for the following:
❑ Power Supply
❑ Display
❑ Storage
❑ Input Device
❑ Motherboard
■ A mix of physical locations and functional teams
❑ India
❑ USA
❑ France
How you interpret or implement sites will depend on your company’s requirements.
Connection to Pulse
In the single-user environment, launching Allegro System Capture or Unified Search from
OrCAD Capture automatically starts up Pulse in the background - even before you open any
design or board. If board designers have specified the allegro_pulse_enable
environment variable, Pulse also starts up when you launch PCB Editor or APD+.
In a multi-user environment, which is supported for Allegro System Capture, PCB Editor,
APD+ (if board designers have specified the allegro_pulse_enable environment
variable), you are prompted to log in to the Pulse platform after you launch Allegro System
Capture, PCB Editor, APD+. Pulse services and data from the Pulse platform are available
after the user logs in.

The Pulse icon in the system tray and a RUNNING status (displayed when you hover over the
icon) indicate that Pulse has started and that Pulse services are now available. See Features
Leveraging the Pulse Platform for details.
This text (blurred for privacy) indicates the

name of the system user.
Pulse icon - accessed from the system tray
A yellow dot on the icon ( ) means there is a notification. For example, Pulse displays a
notification message that you can change the Pulse home after you log in for the first time, or
an information message is displayed that Pulse is in maintenance because of a scheduled
maintenance tasks, such as backing up data.
If Pulse is unavailable because of scheduled maintenance tasks, it will resolve the notification
itself and the yellow dot will disappear. If it is a task you need to address, do so, and the dot
and notification will no longer be displayed.
Caution
The first time you start a Cadence application that connects to Pulse
services, a Pulse folder is automatically created in the user’s home
account and all design and library data is saved here. Manually modifying
or deleting this folder might result in lost version history data.
Deployment Environments on the Pulse Platform

The business functions available to you depend on how you deploy Pulse.

■ Single (or a small team of Allegro System Capture designers) – design and library data
and client applications are on the same machine
Essential business functions of the ECAD life cycle are available in the Allegro System
Capture client application.
■ Multi-user Pulse deployment – design and library data managed in a central Pulse server
to which designers connect. Supports two setups:
❑ Single-server for a multi-user environment - helpful for small organizations where
most designers located in one geography

❑ Cluster of servers for larger organizations with multiple designers located in different
geographies - helps you avoid network latency issues when designers access
design or library part data
Depending on the license, the multi-user environment has the following business
functions:
❑ Managed Library and Workflow - core data management features enabled by a
central Pulse server
❑ Adhoc Team Design - all the features in Managed Library and Workflow and
concurrent, team-based schematic design
Related Topics
■ Single-User Deployment: Administration and System Maintenance
■ About Configuration Options for a Multi-User Environment
■ Configuring Pulse Multi-User Environment
Features Leveraging the Pulse Platform

The advantage of the Pulse platform is central data management, team design capabilities,
and various other features, such as:

■ Out-of-the-box for a single-user environment

❑ Version on Save
❑ Unified Search
❑ Live BOM
❑ Publish for Manufacturing
■ Multi-user environment (Managed Library and Workflow)
❑ All the functions of the single-user environment and the following:
❍ Centralized User Management
❍ Data Management
❍ Design Workflow
❍ Part Request Workflow
❍ Managed Library
❍ Central Logging
❍ Allegro PCB Editor/APD+ Version Control and Design Sharing
■ Multi-user environment (Adhoc Team Design)
❑ All the functions of the single-user environment and Managed Library and Workflow
multi-user environment plus concurrent, block-based and page-level team design
■ Multi-user environment (Web Participant)
This refers to users (for example, component engineers, program managers, team
managers) who can access Pulse only through a web browser. As a result, it is less about
the functions and more about the tasks a user in this environment can do.
This kind of access is useful for administrators or others in the organization who need
access to ECAD data. Users in this environment can access the Pulse dashboard from
the web dashboard URL in a web browser.
All users in this environment have access to the following features through a browser:
❑ Unified Search
❑ Live BOM
❑ Centralized User Management
❑ Part Request Workflow

❑ System Capture designers:

❍ Can access the New Part Request dashboard
❍ Based on read/write permission, can view projects in System Capture - the
design list can include columns for attributes defined in the project details form
❍ Based on read/write permission, can view and edit project details - attributes
can be annotated on the System Capture design canvas (like with page
borders)
❍ Create new projects from existing projects - designers can create templates
and create new designs from these templates; templates include metadata field
content and parts added to the live BOM
❍ View the live BOM and Unified Search - add electrical or mechanical parts to
the live BOM from a web page; the Live BOM displays design parts from the
latest committed version.
❑ Administrators and design administrators can:
❍ View all designs regardless of who has the design lock
❍ Edit the project details form
❍ Edit the New Part Request form
❍ Log out of Pulse – note that logging out of Pulse through a web browser logs
you out of all sessions. For example, if you opened a web application, such as
Unified Search in a browser and open the System Capture Pulse Manager
browser page in the same browser, logging out of Unified Search will also log a
designer out of System Capture. As a result, designers will lose the connection
to the Pulse server.
Note: OrCAD Capture has access only to Unified Search on Pulse.
Design teams are constantly on the lookout for ways to reduce time-to-market, design costs,
and eventually, product costs. This requires design frameworks and tools that integrate the
design life cycle with various business functions, such as collaborative team design
methodology, part standardization, reuse of component and library information, and most
importantly, the enterprise-wide management and sharing of component information and
design libraries.
The list of technologies available on the Pulse platform are as follows:

Pulse Features in Single-User Environment
Business Function Brief Description

Version on Save Native data management (a revision control service) - using
(System Capture) persistent (and track-able) design versions, you can:
Version on Commit ■ Explore different design concepts without fear of losing
(PCB Editor/APD+) previously captured design ideas.
■ Know that your HDD space is optimized while still getting
version control. Since we only save the differences between
the previously saved and the current versions, and not the
entire System Capture design, we can still rebuild any version
that you might want to revert to.
Further, Pulse manages revisions on each auto-save but does
not stop you from continuing your work.


Unified Search (can be Search through and download thousands of parts, symbols,
accessed from System footprints, and 3D models from Cadence-supported content
Capture and OrCAD providers — SamacSys and Ultra Librarian and from a corporate
Capture) library. You can also access OrCAD libraries and maintain a local
library of parts.
You can free-text search based on categories and use parametric

filtering that allows you to zero in on the components you need.
You can directly search for and place a manufacturer part number
based on electrical parameters as well as supply chain
information, such as cost and availability.
While using Cadence schematic design tools, you can also add
parts from Cadence-supplied libraries or download parts directly
from electronic components distributors or manufacturers.
■ Cadence-supplied parts:
❑ OrCAD Capture: Use Place — Part.
❑ System Capture: Use Place — Add Component.
Searches through the libraries added to the design
(local, set in <CDS_SITE>, or managed in Pulse.)
■ Directly download parts from electronic components
distributors or manufacturers
For information on how to launch Unified Search from System

Capture or OrCAD Capture and how to refer to Unified Search
Quick Start Guide.
Publish for A utility that enables electrical designers to publish ECAD data to
Manufacturing (System a set of manufacturing-focused files that can then be published to
Capture) a PLM system or delivered to a manufacturer.
Publish for Manufacturing simplifies the interaction between

Cadence front-end applications and the PLM or Pulse platform by
publishing the required ECAD content to a PLM or Pulse from
within the ECAD tool itself.
For more information on the Release Management business

function, refer to Publish for Manufacturing User Guide.


Live BOM (System Provides access to real-time data that can help speed up the
Capture) production line, decision-making, and planning and ensures the
accuracy of the BOM.
Instead of one big spreadsheet of data pulling information from
different systems and connecting engineers in different
department, the Live BOM in Allegro System Capture keeps
everyone on the same BOM to improve communication and
provide real-time data collaboration between every person
involved in the manufacturing process.
Pulse provides a live view of the BOM when you save a design
and enriches the data with library properties and the part life
cycle state.
Table 1-1 Pulse Features in Multi-User Environment (System Capture, PCB Editor/
APD+)
Pulse User Management Identity management and access to the Pulse platform is handled
by Pulse User Management. Here, administrators can add users
to Pulse, define their groups and roles and manage their Pulse
license allocation.
In addition, Pulse user management can be linked to a corporate

LDAP or SSO configuration for authorization of users accessing
the Pulse platform.
The Pulse User Management function manages user roles and
privileges using Keycloak, an open source Identity and Access
Management solution. For details on Keycloak itself, see the
Keycloak documentation.
For details on defining users for access to the Pulse platform,
and to assign users to specific roles, see Registering Users for
Access to Pulse in Multi-User Environment and About Roles in
the Pulse Platform.

APD+)
Library Management By default, Pulse manages the component library using Allegro
EDM Library Manager. When managed by the Allegro Library
Manager, components go through a defined process of library
development and management by CAD librarians, and
distribution to design teams.
If you use Allegro System Capture primarily for its team design
feature, or if you use Design Entry HDL or Capture CIS, you can
work with libraries managed by your own set of utilities instead of
by Allegro EDM. In Pulse, these are referred to as unmanaged
libraries.
System Capture designers can also work with local libraries.

Parts from local libraries are displayed in My Parts in Unified
Search.
Data Management The design file and design metadata are vaulted on the Pulse
server.
Design Workflow Provides a centrally managed, in-design workflow for Allegro
System Capture users. These workflows provide guidance to the
engineer of the desired design process.
As an ECAD administrator (mapped to the Administrator role in

Pulse User Management), you can create customized workflows
by editing the default workflow and saving it. Workflows are under
revision control in the Pulse database; every time you modify a
workflow, Pulse stores a version of it.
For details on customizing workflows, see Customizing In-Design

Workflows.
New Part Request Enables Allegro System Capture designers to submit part
(System Capture) requests to librarians directly from the Unified Search part
search interface in System Capture or via a web browser.
Librarians can then act on these requests (accept, decline, and
so on).
For details on submitting a part request, refer to System
Capture User Guide.

APD+)
Central Logging Access to a centralized log view of all the machines connected to
the central Pulse server using a web browser.
Pulse presents logging information using Kibana, an open source

data visualization tool integrated into the Pulse platform.
In the current release, using the logging user interface, you can
access searchable log data, which is sorted by time.
For details on how to use the logging business function on the
Pulse platform, see Viewing Design and Library-Related Logs in
Single-User Environment.
For more details on Kibana itself, refer to https://
www.elastic.co/guide/en/kibana/7.0/index.html.
Concurrent Team Design Team design allows multiple design engineers to collaborate and
(only available in the work concurrently to develop a schematic design.
Adhoc Team Design)
As the owner of the design, you can share designs created on
different, but supported platforms, with other team members. Any
design or block shared with others is open for editing by anyone
it is shared with. The first designer starts editing, and locks others
out until changes are committed, at which point it can be edited
by anyone else it has been shared with.
For details on sharing designs with other team members of a

design team, refer to System Capture User Guide.

2
Single-User Deployment: Administration
and System Maintenance
In a single-user environment, design and library data and client applications are on the same
machine.
As a designer managing library and design data on the local disk, you will access Pulse
Manager, a web page for management of basic Pulse-related tasks on your machine. See
Accessing Pulse Manager on Client Machines for details.
In Pulse Manager, you can do the following tasks:

■ View Pulse-related logs.
■ Modify the Pulse home folder location to change where Pulse should store design and
library data.
■ Modify the disk space quota to be notified when the disk space used by Pulse exceeds
a user-specified limit.
■ Purge data to make more space on disk and schedule automatic purge of specific data
types.
■ Back up and restore data.

Single-User Deployment: Administration and System Maintenance
■ View the Pulse logs.

As the administrator of your own machine, you will not need to define email server
settings.
Viewing Design and Library-Related Logs in Single-User

Environment
1. Open Pulse Manager.
By default, the Pulse Manager page opens with Nodes selected in the left pane.

2. Click on the Services node in the left pane to view the Logging tile.

3. In the Logging tile, click on the View Logs icon to view the log files generated and saved
by Pulse.

Pulse presents logging information

using Kibana, an open source data
visualization tool integrated into the
Pulse platform.
In the current release,

the Logging tile presents you with
searchable log data, which is sorted by
time.
To easily find the log data you are
looking for, you can build a breadcrumb
filter by using the magnifying glass
icons when hovering over the data
fields.
For more details on Kibana, refer to

https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/
Related Topic
Accessing Pulse Manager on Client Machines

Modifying Where Pulse Stores Data in Single-User

Environment
By default, Pulse stores the following data in the user home account:
■ Component search index
■ Central logging index
■ Version control repository
■ All application logs (including System Capture logs)
If you want to modify this location, do the following:

1. Open the Settings dialog from Pulse Manager.
2. In the Pulse Home field, modify the value and specify where you want Pulse to store data.
Important
After you modify this value, you will need to restart Pulse.
Related Topics
■ Accessing the Settings Page of Pulse Manager on Client Machines
■ Versioning of Pulse Data Storage Location in Single-User Environment

Versioning of Pulse Data Storage Location in Single-User

Environment
By default, Pulse data is stored in the user home account. If you work on authoring
applications such as System Capture across releases, the user home account will version the
folders in the user’s home account.
For example, if you launch System Capture from version 17.4-2019, you will see <user
home>/Pulse/atom_v4.

This also makes it easy for you to clean up and ensure more space in the Pulse home folders
for different versions.
Modifying Disk Quota or Purging Data in Single-User

Environment
If your system is low on disk space, some Pulse business functions might either not be
available or might work slowly. To modify the disk quota, do the following:
1. Open the Settings page of Pulse Manager.

2. Select Storage Management.
3. Modify the disk quota.

4. If you want Pulse to purge data regularly to improve system performance, you can
specify the purge settings for two types of data:
❑ Log Indexes
❑ Design vault data (only System Capture design versions and derived data, such as
the PDF preview of a design for version control)
5. Select one or both of the following two options:
❑ Disk Low - Pulse will purge data if the disk space falls below the default or specified
disk quota.
❑ Scheduled - Pulse will purge data based on the defined Cron job. The Pulse Cron
scheduler is based on the Quartz Job Scheduler. As a result, it supports most of
what has been described here: Cron Trigger Tutorial.
6. In Purge Policy, define the age of the data to be purged.
7. If you want to purge Pulse's temporary working data and log files, do the following:

a. Select Disk Cleanup.
b. Specify the purge schedule and the age of the data to be purged for both types of
data: temporary or log files.
Related Topic
Accessing the Settings Page of Pulse Manager on Client Machines
Scheduling Regular Data Backups in Single-User

Environment
To ensure data safety, you can schedule regular data backups by doing the following:

2. Select Backup & Restore.
3. Specify the location where you want Pulse to back up design vault data (.sdax and design
metadata).
4. If you want to schedule regular backups using a Cron job, toggle Automatically run
backups as a scheduled task and define the Cron script. The Pulse Cron scheduler is
based on the Quartz Job Scheduler. As a result, it supports most of what has been
described here: Cron Trigger Tutorial.
5. In Backup Retention Policy, define the number of backups you want Pulse to maintain.
Pulse also automatically creates a backup of data before restoring it. This helps you in
case you did not intend to restore a backup.
Related Topic
Backing Up and Restoring Data Manually in Single-User

Environment
Even if you have scheduled regular backups, you might sometimes need to manually back up
data. To manually back up data, do the following:
2. Click the Backup icon in the Recovery tile.

Backup creates a snapshot of the state of the design data version stored on disk by
Pulse. You can restore any of these backups by clicking the Restore icon in Pulse
Manager.
Related Topic
Shutting Down Pulse in Single-User Environment

By design, Pulse does not shut down even when you exit a client application (for example,
Allegro System Capture). This helps the client application launch quicker when you start it
again. However, when a client application is not running for more than 24 hours, Pulse will
shut down automatically.
You can also manually shut down Pulse, such as when you modify some settings that need
you to restart Pulse (indicated in the Pulse Manager user interface itself or through
messages), or when you need to install a hotfix, or update other software on your machine.
You can shut down Pulse in two ways:

■ Click SHUTDOWN in Pulse Manager.
■ Click on the Pulse icon ( ) in the system tray and click Shutdown.
Note: Closing the web browser being used to view the Pulse Manager page will not shut
down Pulse.
Related Topic
Designers: Connecting to Central Server and Modifying

Pulse Home in Multi-User Environment
In a multi-user environment, all data is managed on a central server called the Pulse master
node. In this environment, because the data and systems are managed by an administrator,
only configuration data, cached ECAD data, and some logs are stored in the Pulse home.
To work in the multi-user environment, you need to specify the URL of the central server. You
can also change your Pulse home location if required using Pulse Manager.

To specify the remote URL or modify the Pulse home (the location where certain logs are
cached, and settings such as the remote URL are stored), do the following:
2. Specify the remote URL or modify the Pulse Home. Do not have a slash at the end of the
URL.
Related Topic
About Pulse Manager

Pulse Manager is an easy-to-use web page accessed by designers for the following tasks:
■ In a single-user environment - for viewing logs, backing up and restoring data,
modifying the available disk space for smoother running of your system, and manually
purging disk space if more is required.
■ In a multi-user environment - for modifying the Pulse home or changing the Pulse
server URL.


1. Hover your mouse cursor over the Pulse icon in the system tray and check that the status
is RUNNING.
2. In the system tray, click on the Pulse icon.

3. Select Manage to open the Pulse Manager web page.
Pulse Manager is displayed in a browser.

If you work on Linux, ensure that you have defined a default browser. If not defined, you can
open Pulse Manager by using the following URL: http://127.0.0.1:<port>/element. On
Windows and Linux, the only supported browsers are the latest versions of Google Chrome
and Firefox.


If you need to modify the disk quota or purge data, or schedule regular data backups for
safety, use the Settings dialog. You can access this dialog by clicking the gear icon in the top
right of the Pulse Manager browser page.
Notifications
Gear icon to open

the Settings dialog

Customization Options in Single-User Environment

See the following:
■ Customizing Live BOM Headers
■ Disabling Content Providers and Managing Property Visibility in Unified Search
■ Configuring Outputs and Package Structure to Publish ECAD Data for Manufacturing
Switching From Single-User to Multi-User Environment

In certain situations, say when a startup starts out with one person and becomes bigger, or
when a company has engineers in small groups working on prototyping or confidential
projects in a temporarily isolated environment (away from the larger production team), you
might need to move from a single-user environment to a multi-user environment.
A multi-user environment requires a central server that manages all design and library data
and runs the Pulse platform software. Before a single-user environment can be converted to
a multi-user environment, Pulse must be configured for this environment.
Important
When you switch from a local machine (single-user environment) to a central server
(multi-user environment), design versioning starts from v1 in the central server.
Related Topic
Multi-User Deployment: Configuration and System Maintenance
Troubleshooting in Single-User Environment

Pulse has hung or crashed
If you have insufficient free disk space in your Pulse home drive, Pulse can behave
unpredictably. For example, it can hang or crash. Try and ensure that you have at least 1 GB
free disk space in your hard disk.
Sending design data and logs to Cadence Customer Support (medic service)
If you need to send a design and its logs to Cadence Customer Support for troubleshooting,
you can use the diagnostic service of Pulse to conveniently generate a compressed file of all
the data required for debugging by Cadence.

1. Open the Pulse Manager browser page.

By default, the Pulse Manager page opens with Nodes selected in the left pane.
2. In the Diagnosis tile, click on the Generate Diagnosis Files button.

Pulse generates a compressed file of all the required data for troubleshooting by
Cadence and stores the file at <Pulse home>/atom_vXX/server/data/medic/
testcases.
If you are working in a multi-user environment, that is, you are connected to the Pulse
server, Pulse generates a compressed file of all the required data and stores the file at
<Pulse home>/vista_pulse/server/data/medic/testcases.
Deleting all data from Pulse home and starting from the last Pulse version
If the data in the Pulse home gets corrupted and you cannot resolve the problem, you
can delete all data from the Pulse folder in the user home account by clicking the Reset
button.

Capture libraries not available in System Capture even after copying capture.ini
to the Pulse home
You added an OrCAD capture.ini file, which has paths to OLB and CIS libraries, to the
Pulse home location. After adding the .ini file, you restarted System Capture but still do not
see any OLB files in System Capture.
If System Capture is open, exit it, shut down Pulse, and launch System Capture again.
Related Topics

■ Accessing Pulse Manager on Client Machines

■ Shutting Down Pulse in Single-User Environment

3
Multi-User Deployment: Configuration
and System Maintenance
As an administrator, your primary tasks are:

■ configuring Pulse for Managed Library and Workflow and Adhoc Team Design
■ adding users to the Pulse platform for access to the Pulse master and Data nodes
■ maintaining the health of the system by backing up and restoring data, cleaning up the
disk as needed, checking the logs, and so on
■ communicating server changes, outages, or downtime for scheduled maintenance or
upgrade of the Pulse server to all users connected to the server
About Configuration Options for a Multi-User

Environment
This section is only relevant for ECAD administrators. The Managed Library and Workflow
and Adhoc Team Design tiers both support a multi-user environment.
In a multi-user environment, users connect to a server at a central location referred to as a

Pulse master node. This node stores and manages all design and library data. As an ECAD
administrator, you have two options depending on the size of your organization:

■ a Pulse master node might be sufficient for storing both libraries and designs.
■ For large organizations, you can have a cluster of a single master node and multiple data
nodes. A data node hosts a read-only version of the library data that is on the Pulse
master node. This library data cannot be modified on Pulse data nodes.
When connected to a data node, design data makes its way from the client application
to the data node to the master node (and vice-versa). Design versions for clients
connected to a data node are vaulted (stored) on the Pulse master node.
This option is helpful for organizations where multiple designers are located in
geographically dispersed sites (Pulse data nodes)—away from the Pulse master node—
and when accessing data directly from the Pulse master node might be slow because of
network latency. In such cases, local Pulse data nodes help improve the performance of
the design tools.
As an administrator, which of these options you choose will depend on many factors,
including the number of users in your setup, whether your setup spans geographic
regions, network performance, the size of data being managed, and so on.

The combination of Data nodes and a master node is referred to as a Pulse cluster.
About Library Management in Pulse: Managed or

Unmanaged Libraries
Pulse can work with managed or unmanaged libraries and with local, project-specific
libraries.
■ About Managed Libraries in Pulse
■ About Unmanaged Libraries in Pulse
■ Local (Project-Specific) Libraries
About Managed Libraries in Pulse

Managed libraries means the library content is developed in a structured methodology
defined by a company, is version controlled, and is automatically distributed to users
accessing a Pulse server.
For Allegro EDM Library Manager to manage part libraries in the Pulse environment, you will
need to define a root directory called <Allegro EDM CONF ROOT>, which stores all the
information for customized configurations for multiple sites.

You will also need to create a client startup script, which is used to launch Allegro EDM Flow
Manager, a utility that is the gateway to all the library management utilities, such as Database
Editor, Database Administration, Library Distribution, and so on.
About Unmanaged Libraries in Pulse

Unlike managed libraries that are managed by Allegro EDM/Pulse, unmanaged libraries refer
to libraries authored in authoring tools such as Design Entry HDL, OrCAD CIS, PCB Editor,
but which are managed by your own processes or utilities for validation and distribution of
library data across all sites.
Unmanaged libraries can be Design Entry HDL or OrCAD Capture libraries or both.You can
choose to work with unmanaged libraries if you use Allegro System Capture primarily for its
team design feature, or if you use Design Entry HDL or Capture CIS.
Local (Project-Specific) Libraries

System Capture designers can also work with local libraries, which are libraries stored only
on the hard disk. These libraries are not specified in the central configuration — either in the
SITE or on the Pulse Server, and are project specific. Parts from local libraries are displayed
in My Parts in Unified Search.
Related Topics
■ About Sites in the Pulse Environment
■ Defining Root Directory and Creating Client Startup Script
■ Configuring Pulse Multi-User Environment
■ Configuring EDM-Managed Libraries
■ Configuring Unmanaged Libraries
■ Indexing Libraries for Faster Part Search
Configuring Pulse Multi-User Environment

How you configure Pulse depends on whether you are:
■ an existing customer moving from the base 17.4 release to this release or a 17.2 Allegro
EDM customer migrating directly to this release. If you are:

❑ migrating from the base 17.4 release or a 17.2 Allegro EDM customer to this
release, see the Allegro Pulse (previously Cadence Pulse) and Allegro EDM
(previously ADW) chapter of Migration Guide for Allegro Platform Products.
❑ an existing customer who wants to switch from managed to unmanaged libraries,
see Switching from Managed to Unmanaged Libraries and Vice Versa in Pulse
Master Node.
■ a new customer configuring Pulse for the first time. See Configuring Pulse for the First
Time.
Configuring Pulse for the First Time

Before you start to configure Pulse, you must ensure that all systems (designer machines,
Pulse master and Data nodes) meet certain conditions.
Pre-Checks for Pulse Multi-User Environment Configuration
Check that your machine meets the following conditions before you start configuring Pulse.
■ Core 17.4 Allegro Products are installed
For the list of products to be installed, see Cadence Allegro and OrCAD (Including
EDM) 17.4-2019 Release Installation Guide for Windows.
■ All the required third-party tools are available and their installation location is known.
Some applications that you require are:
❑ Microsoft Office Suite for Windows
❑ Open Office for Linux
❑ Adobe Reader
■ The vs2005, vs2008, vs2012,and vs2015 packages are installed - these are needed
to run Allegro EDM Flow Manager. These packages are available at the following
location: <installation_hierarchy>\tools\msbase
Note: You will need to manually install these packages only if you installed the Cadence
products from a network location.
■ Ensure that the following firewall ports are open for Pulse Service Manager to function
correctly:
❑ 5701 on every machine if you work with a Pulse Cluster server setup of a Pulse
master node, Pulse data nodes, and clients connected to the Pulse Cluster.

❑ 7100 (or the port specified by the administrator in the Pulse Service Manager
configuration) and the two preceding ports (7099 and 7098 if you are using the
default port) on every machine.
■ If your organization has a team design license, ensure that all required libraries are
accessible to all members of a design team. Designers should not use local libraries.
Important
For Linux machines that will run the Pulse master node, read the following and make
the required changes:
❑ https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/elasticsearch/reference/7.0/file-
descriptors.html
❑ https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/elasticsearch/reference/7.0/vm-max-map-
count.html
❑ https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/elasticsearch/reference/7.0/max-number-
of-threads.html
After you check for these prerequisites, do the following to quickly get started:
1. Start the Pulse master node as a service. See the following:
❑ Running Pulse Server as a Service
❑ Configuring the Pulse Master Node
Because you might want to deploy a new release on a test server or staging
environment instead of your production environment, you can use a test server. See
Setting up a Test Server for instructions on how to set it up. Note that the test server
cannot be installed or run as a service.
2. Add users for access to the Pulse platform and assign roles. See Managing Users in
Multi-User Pulse Environment.
3. Connect the Allegro System Capture or PCB Editor/APD+ client applications to the Pulse
server (Master or data node depending on your configuration). See the following:
❑ Designers: Connecting to Central Server and Modifying Pulse Home in Multi-User
Environment
❑ About Configuration Options for a Multi-User Environment
4. Authenticate the user. See Connection to Pulse.
5. Decide whether you want to work with managed or unmanaged libraries.

❑ If you want to work with unmanaged libraries, skip directly to Configuring the Pulse
Master Node.
❑ If you want to work with managed libraries, do the following:
a. Configure a client startup script to launch Allegro EDM Flow Manager.

Among other things, this utility is a cockpit to launch library management utilities
such as Database Editor, Database Administration, Library Distribution, and so on.
See Creating Client Startup Script.
b. Start Flow Manager. Refer to Allegro EDM Flow Manager User Guide.
c. Create a library project. Refer to the following section of Allegro EDM Flow
Manager User Guide: Creating and Maintaining Allegro EDM Projects Using
Flow Manager.
d. Log in to Allegro EDM Database Editor. Refer to Allegro EDM Database Editor
User Guide.
e. Import your library data into the Allegro EDM environment using Allegro EDM
Library Import. Refer to Allegro EDM Library Import User Guide.

Running Pulse Server as a Service

When you install and run Pulse as a service, the advantage is that the Pulse service (in this
case, Pulse Service Manager) starts up automatically when you log into your operation
system. Pulse Service Manager installed as a service can be managed through the Pulse
Manager browser page just as in the non-service mode.
For help on Pulse Service Manager as a service and a list of all the possible arguments, use
the vista -h command.
Permissions
■ On Windows, to install, remove, start, or stop the Pulse service, you need administrative
rights on your machine.
■ On Linux, to install, remove, start, or stop the Pulse service, you must run the service-
related commands as a root user. Use the sudo utility.
Pre-conditions to Install Pulse server as a Service
Before you install Pulse Service Manager as a service, shut down Pulse Service Manager.
To check whether Pulse Service Manager is running, hover your cursor over the Pulse
Service Manager icon in the system tray and check if the status is RUNNING.
If the server is running, click on the Pulse Service Manager icon in the system tray and select
Shutdown to shut the server down.
Pulse Server as a Service on Windows

You can install, start, stop, and remove the Pulse server as a service on Windows. For all
these tasks, first do the following:
1. Open an elevated command prompt.
2. Navigate to <installation_directory>/server/bin.
Note: You cannot install Pulse as a service from a UNC path or mapped drive.
To work with the Pulse server as a service, use the following commands:

Install 1. Install the service using the following command:

vista installservice -servicehome
<value>
where
❑ servicehome is a mandatory argument and is for
the location where you want the service
configuration details to be stored. Because a
running service might not have write permission for
the user’s home, the ‘service home’ is used instead.
❑ <value> is the path to the location where you
want the service configuration details to be stored.
Spaces in the path are not supported. For example,
the path can be: C:\Pulse\service.
By default, the Pulse Service Manager service is
created with the name PulseServiceManager
and its details are stored in a folder called
vista_pulse in the specified directory, as
illustrated:
The vista_pulse folder is created when you start the
Pulse Service Manager service.
Start vista startservice
Stop vista stopservice
Remove vista removeservice
Pulse Server as a Service on Linux

You can install, start, stop, and remove the Pulse server as a service on Linux. For all these
tasks, first do the following:
1. Open an elevated command prompt.
2. Navigate to <installation_directory>/server/bin.
Note: You cannot install Pulse as a service from a UNC path or mapped drive.
To work with the Pulse server as a service, use the following commands:

Install 1. Install the service:

sudo ./vista installservice -servicehome
<value>
where
❑ servicehome is a mandatory argument and is for
the location where you want the service
configuration details to be stored. Because a
running service might not have write permission for
the user’s home, the ‘service home’ is used instead.
<value> is the path to the location where you want the
service configuration details to be stored. Spaces in the
path are not supported.
When you install Pulse as a service on a Linux machine, the

installation script creates a Linux user and a group, both of
which are named pulse.
On Linux, because Pulse as a service is installed by a user
named pulse, you will need to switch users to install the
Pulse component database.
Start sudo ./vista startservice
The default port for Pulse Service Manager is 7100. If you
launch more than one instance of Pulse Service Manager
and 7100 is not available because it is in use, Pulse logs an
error in the adwserver.out file in <servicehome>/
Pulse/vista_pulse/server/log.
Stop sudo ./vista stopservice
Remove sudo ./vista removeservice
Configuring the Pulse Master Node

Start by setting up the Pulse master node then configure the Pulse data nodes if you plan to
use them in your setup.
1. Start Pulse Service Manager to access the web page with all the configuration options.
2. Click the gear icon on the top right of the page to access the Setting dialog.

The Settings page is displayed.
Related Topics
■ Accessing Pulse Service Manager Page for Pulse Server Administrators
Defining FQDN for Pulse Master Node and Modifying Java Memory
1. Access the Pulse Service Manager Settings page.
2. In General, toggle the fully qualified domain name (FQDN) option to make it easier for
designers to remember the URL of the Pulse master node. For example,
<hostname>.global.cadence.com.
Note: If you choose FQDN and a designer specifies the remote URL as
<hostname>:7100, the designer will be unable to connect to the Pulse server.
3. Modify the Java memory, if needed. It is recommended that you use the default value,
but depending on the component database size, you might need to increase the memory.
This setting applies to all the Pulse data nodes as well.
Related Topics

Accessing Pulse Service Manager Page for Pulse Server Administrators
Modifying Disk Quota or Purging Data from Pulse Master Node

2. Select Storage Management in the left pane.
3. Modify the disk quota. Pulse does not have any disk quota limits.
4. If you want Pulse to purge data regularly to improve system performance, you can
specify the purge settings for three types of data:
❑ Log Indexes
❑ Design Vault data
❑ Cluster Metrics
5. Select one or either both of the following two options:
❑ Disk Low - Pulse will purge data if the disk space falls below the default or specified
disk quota.
❑ Scheduled - Pulse will purge data based on the defined Cron job. The Pulse Cron
scheduler is based on the Quartz Job Scheduler. As a result, it supports most of
what has been described here: Cron Trigger Tutorial.
6. In Purge Policy, define the age of the data to be purged.
7. If you want to purge system files (temporary or log files), do the following:

a. Select Disk Cleanup in the left pane.
8. Specify the purge schedule and the age of the data to be purged for both types of data:
temporary or log files.
Related Topics
Backing up Pulse Master Node Data and Restoring It

Essential for data security and to prevent data loss, it is recommended that you back up your
data regularly.
Keep in mind that the Pulse server can sometimes be in maintenance mode. This can be
because of an internal error and the server needs to restart itself. If you try and back up data
during this time, an error message is displayed. The process of backing up will cause the
Pulse cluster to go into maintenance mode, which will prevent users from accessing Pulse for
a period of time. So, it is recommended that backups be scheduled during a low usage period
(for example, over a weekend) to minimize impact to users.
To define the backup and restore settings, do the following:


2. Select Backup & Restore in the left pane.
3. Specify the location where you want Pulse to back up design vault data.
4. If you want to schedule regular backups using a Cron job, toggle Automatically run
backups as a scheduled task and define the Cron script. The Pulse Cron scheduler is
based on the Quartz Job Scheduler. As a result, it supports most of what has been
described here: Cron Trigger Tutorial.
5. In Backup Retention Policy, define the number of backups you want Pulse to maintain.
Pulse also automatically creates a backup of data before restoring it. This helps you in
case you did not intend to restore a backup.
To restore data, select the backup timestamp that you want to restore and click
RESTORE.
Related Topics
Specifying Email Server Settings for Pulse Master Node


2. Select Mail in the left pane.
3. Specify the required settings. If you toggle the Notify Critical System Events to
Administrator button, you will be notified by email whenever the Pulse master node goes
into maintenance due to a scheduled system maintenance task or because of an error.
Related Topics
Specifying Security Settings for Pulse Master Node


2. Select Security in the left pane.
3. Toggle Enable SSL to ensure encrypted communication between the Pulse master and
Data nodes or client machines. See Creating and Using SSL Certificates in Pulse
Environment for details on creating the Java KeyStore (JKS).
4. Specify the user name and password to access Pulse User Management, which is used
to define user roles and permissions for the Pulse platform. See Registering Users for
Access to Pulse in Multi-User Environment for details.
Related Topics
Defining Library Management Settings for Pulse Master Node

In the Library Management pane, you will define some settings for Pulse such as the LDAP
settings, the Multiple Library Revision (MLR) option if you are an existing customer who works
with a 17.2 Master Library Server, whether you want to work with managed or unmanaged
libraries, and so on.
To define the library management settings, do the following:


2. Select Library Management in the left pane.
3. Select Library Indexing if you want to work with unmanaged libraries or EDM
Managed Library to work with managed libraries.
Configuring Unmanaged Libraries

1. In Library Path, specify the parent directory of the sub-directory that contains cds.lib
to ensure that DE-HDL libraries are indexed.
Note: If you want to also index OrCAD Capture libraries, ensure that the sub-directory
that contains capture.ini is under the parent directory specified in Library Path. It is
recommended that you run OrCAD Capture on the server, configure the libraries and
ODBC connection to the CIS database, then specify the resulting capture.ini for the
Pulse server to use.
Important
OrCAD library indexing is only supported on Windows.
Pulse automatically indexes all your configured libraries, and uses the library location
path to quickly access the library and look for parts.
Important
If you are an existing user and you switch from managed to unmanaged libraries or
vice versa, you must restart the Pulse cluster. Any open client applications, such as
System Capture, must also be restarted by designers.

When you switch from:

❑ managed to unmanaged libraries, Unified Search will continue to display parts from
managed libraries until System Capture is restarted.
❑ unmanaged to managed libraries, Unified Search displays an error when designers
try and view part details. Exiting and launching System Capture again will address
this problem.
Configuring EDM-Managed Libraries

1. Toggle the Enable MLR (Multiple Library Revision) option if you are an existing
customer who works with a 16.6 or 17.2 Master Library Server. The MLR option allows
you to use more than one version of Allegro EDM/Pulse simultaneously.
If you select the MLR option, a variable called MLR_PCBDW_LIB is added to the following
file: <PCBDW_LIB>\distribution\env\fetch_dump.ini.
Important
Although the variable is added to fetch_dump.ini, note that you will still need to
manually run this file and lib_dist.ini. For details on MLR, see Multi-User
Deployment: Configuration and System Maintenance.
After you complete the configuration of the Pulse master node (and Pulse data nodes if
you are using them), you will configure the Allegro EDM Conf Root. During this process,
specify the value of this variable in the <startworkbench> script as:

MLR_PCBDW_LIB=<path to the PCBDW_LIB of the master library

server>
This is required so that the Pulse data nodes read and get component data from the 17.2
library server.
See also Supporting Multiple Releases with Multi-Library Release (MLR) Configuration.
2. Select Enable library access to Part Information Manager if you have designers in
your organization still working with Design Entry HDL.
Allegro System Capture can search for library parts from within the application itself
(through the Unified Search pane).
However, some sites in your organization might have designers who work with Design
Entry HDL, another Cadence logical design application. Design Entry HDL uses Part
Information Manager, a component search utility.
3. Generate an access key, which is needed for library distribution to run successfully on a
data node.
It is recommended that you embed this key in the library distribution script on a server
that runs library distribution as a scheduled task or Cron job.
In Windows, add PULSE_LIBDIST_TOKEN as a system environment variable in all the
machines that will run lib_dist or the lib_dist_client. On Linux, set
PULSE_LIBDIST_TOKEN as a variable. The value of the variable is the access key.
Caution
If you revoke and generate a new access key, remember to provide it
again to all the relevant stakeholders.
4. Click the Export button if you have configured LDAP as the identify provider in Pulse
User Management. Clicking this button generates a file with the settings for LDAP
authentication for the library management tools (Database Editor, Database
Administrator, and so on).
Pulse stores the LDAP settings in a .conf file in <Pulse master home>/Pulse/
vista_pulse/server/conf.
If you are working with an older library server (for example, from 17.2) and you had
selected LDAP when configuring it, you will have to modify the Pulse-generated LDAP
file and add some of the previous LDAP settings, such as:
❑ Attribute that corresponds to the corporate user ID, such as uid.

❑ Distinguished Name (DN) of the directory that contains the list of users for an LDAP
search. For example: ou=people,o=cadence.com
Defining Disk Space for All Client Machines Connecting to Pulse Master
Node
Select Clients in the left pane if you want to specify a disk quota for all client machines
connecting to the Pulse master node.
Setting up a Test Server

Many users like to deploy a new release on a test server or staging environment instead of
their production environment. The test environment can also be used to evaluate the software
updates that are periodically released.
To set up and run the test server, do the following:

1. Navigate to <installation directory>/server/bin.
2. In a command prompt, run the following command:
vista -test true

Note: You cannot install or run Allegro Library Test Server as a service.

Managing Users in Multi-User Pulse Environment

A user is someone who needs access to the Pulse master and data nodes and other Pulse
services. Only the administrator can manage users. While management of users by a non-
administrative user is not possible, non-administrative users can change their passwords
according to their corporate company policies.
As an administrator, you will need to add users and register them on the Pulse platform before
these users can work in a multi-user environment (Managed Library and Workflow and Adhoc
Team Design tiers).
The administrator user in Pulse is different from the admin user.
admin user Manages the Pulse cluster - has access to Pulse Service
Manager and can create or remove users, give users
different privileges
administrator user A user with the Administrator role as defined in Pulse User
Management.
The Administrator is the out-of-the-box user who can create
custom workflows, edit workflows, and configure a part
request form.
Don’ts for Pulse User Management

The Pulse User Management function manages user roles and privileges using Keycloak, an
open source Identity and Access Management solution. Although Keycloak allows you to add
user roles, modify client scopes, and so on, for the purposes of Pulse administration, do not
do the following:
■ add user roles or modify the following:
❑ client scopes
❑ realm settings
❑ permissions
❑ clients

Accessing Pulse User Management Page

For all functions related to user management in Pulse, you will work with the Pulse User
Management page, which you can access by doing the following:
1. Open the Pulse Service Manager browser page to access the browser-based interface
with the system management and configuration options.
Pulse Service Manager is displayed.
2. Click on the Manage Users icon in the User Management tile.
Slots + 20% overdraft
Users created and marked as

active in Pulse User Management
Number of additional users that can be added or enabled

in Pulse User Management

The home page of the Pulse User Management browser-based interface is displayed.
3. Click on Administration Console to access the login page where you can enter the
credentials needed to log in to the Pulse User Management function.
The Login page is displayed. For a first time login, use the default user name and
password: admin and admin.
You can change the administrator password in the Security tab of the Pulse Service
Manager Settings page. You cannot modify the user name.
Pulse User Management is displayed.

Related Topics
Registering Users for Access to Pulse in Multi-User Environment

As an administrator, you can register any number of users to access and use the Pulse
servers, but only a licensed number will be allowed to connect to it simultaneously. The
interface for the identity service is Pulse User Management, using which you add users,
update their email settings, revoke sessions, and so on.
To register users for the Pulse platform, do the following:

1. Open Pulse User Management.

2. Click on Users under Manage.

3. Click on Add user on the top right of the page.
Note: A non-administrative user cannot add new users.

4. Specify the user name. It is the only mandatory field.
When you add users, they are enabled by default.
You will be prevented from trying to add another user with the same User Name as an
existing user.
5. Click Save.
Related Topics
Assigning Roles to Users in Pulse

To define the level of access a user has on the Pulse platform and for Pulse-enabled functions
in client applications such as Allegro System Capture, assign roles for users created in Pulse.
You can assign multiple roles to a user.

Role assignments allocate slot types to users. For example, if you assign a web participant
role to a user, this uses one of the available web participant slots.
Slots are only for Pulse Managed Workflow, Pulse Team Collaboration, and Pulse Web
Participant.
To define a role for a Pulse user, do the following:

1. Open Pulse User Management.
2. Click on Users under Manage.
If the list of users already defined in Pulse is not displayed, click View all users.
The list of users is displayed. Some details have been blurred in this image for
confidentiality.
3. Click on the ID of the user to whom you want to assign a role.

Note: A non-administrative user cannot assign roles to users.

The user details are displayed.
4. Click the Role Mappings tab.
5. Select the role you want to assign to the user from the Available Roles list and click Add
selected.

❑ Assigned Roles lists the role that an administrator manually assigns to users.
❑ Effective Roles is a combination of the assigned role and roles implicitly assigned
elsewhere, such as Groups.
Do not modify the Client Roles.
Related Topics
About Roles in the Pulse Platform

Roles allow you to organize your users based on various aspects, such as the division of the
organization in which they are involved, or the design team they are in. Roles also make the
sharing of Pulse server content, and the configuration of other Pulse server-served
technologies, more streamlined.

Default Roles in Pulse Platform
Pulse provides the following default roles, which you cannot modify.
■ Administrator
■ Design Administrator
■ Design Integrator - not used in this release
■ Designer
■ Librarian
■ Library Administrator
■ offline_access - in the user interface because it is available out of the box in Keycloak.
Not required for Pulse.
■ Pulse Managed Workflow
■ Pulse Team Collaboration
■ Pulse Web Participant
For information about Pulse Managed Workflow, Pulse Team Collaboration, and Pulse
Web Participant, see Appendix 1, “Features Leveraging the Pulse Platform”.

■ uma_authorization - in the user interface because it is available out of the box in

Keycloak. Not required for Pulse.
Feature Role and Possible Tasks

Pulse Manager (browser Designers: Change Pulse Home, Set Remote Server
page)
Administrators of Master/Data Nodes: Set up Master/
Data Nodes, Pulse Cluster Management and Monitoring,
Pulse User Management Configuration
Part Requests Designers: Create/Edit/cancel Part Requests, Assign Part
Requests, Subscribe/Unsubscribe to Email Notifications, Put
on Hold, Free From Hold
Librarians: Create Parts, Release Parts, Ask for
Information, Put on Hold, Free From Hold
Administrators: Edit and Publish Part Request Form, Put
on Hold, Free From Hold
Publish for Manufacturing Designers: Open Project, Generate Content, BOM
Generation, BOM Sync, Publish Content
Administrators and Design Administrators: Configure
Publish for Manufacturing (Generate Content Utility Creation,
Configuring BOM Attributes, Configure Publish Dialog, Set
Mandatory and Non-Mandatory Rules)
Version Management and Designers: Save Designs to Vault with Version on Save,
Design Sharing View Version Graph, Share Designs, Check In/check Out
Design Sub-Objects (including derived data objects such as
PDF and Live BOM), Update Designs With Latest Library
Changes
Design owners (design authors): Share Designs With
Other Designers, Release Lock
Unified Search/Live BOM Designers: Search Parts From Cadence-supplied or
Custom Libraries/Ultra Librarian/SamacSys to Add/Replace/
Modify Parts in Designs
Administrators: Map Properties and define available
properties

Unified Search Administrators and Library Administrators: Enable/

Disable Data Sources, Define Attribute Aliases
Live BOM Administrators: Enable/Disable Data Sources, Define
Attribute Aliases
In-Design Workflow Administrators: Edit/Create In-design Workflows, Publish
Designers: View and Adhere to In-Design Workflow
Allegro Library Manager Librarians: Library Object Creation/Modification/Verification/
(Allegro EDM) Release/Library Distribution, Managing Working Sets
Library Administrators: Classifications Management, PPL
Management/Lifecycle/User/Library Management, Flow
Configuration
Equivalent Groups from

Previous Allegro EDM
Versions (from
Eligible
Role Database Comments
operations
Administrator, Team
Design Option, File
System/SharePoint)
Administrator Part Request
Designer
Operations
Part Request
Administration
Operations
Pulse Manager
(browser page)
Designer
Operations
Publish for
Manufacturing
Administration
Operations

Publish for
Manufacturing
Designer
Operations
Librarian Part Request ECAD Librarian
Designer
Operations
Part Request
Librarian
Operations
Pulse Manager
(browser page)
Designer
Operation
Publish for
Manufacturing
Designer
Operations
Library Administrator Part Request ECAD Library
Designer Administrator
Operations
Part Request
Librarian
Pulse Manager
(browser page)
Designer
Operation
Publish for
Manufacturing
Designer
Operations
Designer Part Request
Designer
Operations

Pulse Manager
(browser page)
Designer
Operation
Publish for
Manufacturing
Designer
Operations
Design Integrator Pulse Manager
(browser page)
Designer
Operation
Design Administrator Part Request
Designer
Operations
Pulse Manager
(browser page)
Designer
Operation
Publish for
Manufacturing
Administration
Operations
Publish for
Manufacturing
Designer
Operations
Roles: offline_access Not to be
modified
Roles: uma_authorization Not to be
modified
Special Users Default
Password
admin Pulse Manager admin
(browser page)
Master/Data
Node Setup

User
Management
administrator pwd
pulse OS-level local Dummy user
user. Auto- without password
created as part of
Service
installation on
Linux
Related Topics
Configuring LDAP Sync with the Pulse Server

As a Pulse administrator of the Managed Library and Workflow and Adhoc Team Designs
tiers, you can leverage the existing user name and password credentials of a network domain
so that user credentials do not have to be created manually one at a time in Pulse User
Management.
When correctly set up, the Users page will automatically have the user credentials, enabling
any registered user to sign in to the Pulse server using their regular corporate network user
name and password.
The Pulse server supports Standard LDAP and LDAPS (LDAP over SSL). If you want to
create user credentials from LDAP automatically, you might want to first remove any existing
manually created users.
Taking advantage of Pulse support for Windows Authentication, you can also use your
Windows login credentials when signing in to your Pulse server. Simply enable the Use
Windows Session option.
To configure LDAP sync, do the following:

1. Access the Pulse User Management module.

2. Click User Federation under Configure.
3. Click Add provider on the top right of the screen and select ldap.
The Add user federation provider page is displayed.
For Pulse services, select

Unsynced as the Edit Mode.
For Pulse services, select

simple as the Bind Type.

4. Specify the mandatory fields. Refer to the Keycloak documentation for details about each
field.
LDAP Syncing Constraints on Pulse Platform

■ If you have a limited number of connections or if more users than the number of available
licenses need access, users will connect to Pulse on a first come, first served basis.
■ LDAP users are imported into Pulse only after successful authentication. However, later
changes made to user definitions cannot be written back to the LDAP system that
manages the users.
■ Administrators launching Pulse Service Manager (vista.bat) might find that takes a
considerable amount of time because of LDAP server latency. It can also take a while
because users are verified based on the license count.
Related Topic
Accessing Pulse User Management Page

Accessing Configuration Settings in Multi-User

Environment
You can access configuration settings for a multi-user environment through Pulse Service
Manager. Pulse Service Manager is a browser-based interface for administrators of the
servers in a multi-user environment.
Using Pulse Service Manager, administrators can do various tasks.
Cluster Node

■ View the number of users currently accessing the Pulse master node and the system
performance and health of the Pulse master node and all the Pulse data nodes
connected to the master node
Click to view usage, memory, and other

statistics of the selected host machine

■ View statistics related to the Pulse master and data nodes
Nodes Node
■ View system information about the selected node

■ View system health details about the node

■ Free up disk space for the selected node
This icon indicates

the Pulse master
node.
Services Node
From this node, you can do the following for a Pulse cluster, that is, all the Pulse master nodes
combined:
■ Manage storage space
■ Access the User Management module to register and manage users for the Pulse
platform

■ Back up and restore data

■ view the Pulse logs
Clients Node
You can select a particular client machine, that is a designer’s machine connecting to the
Pulse master node, and view system information and system health details.
Access Configuration Options for the Pulse Master and Pulse Data Nodes
Clicking the Settings icon in the Pulse Service Manager page opens the Settings page, which
allows you to schedule automatic purge of specific data types to make more space on disk,

define mail server settings for email notifications generated by Pulse, configure security and
library management settings, and specify a disk quota for client machines.
Settings icon

Settings Page
Related Topic

To access Pulse Service Manager, follow these steps:
1. Do one of the following:
❑ On Windows, navigate to <installation_directory>/server/bin and
double-click vista.bat.
❑ On Linux, open a terminal, navigate to <installation_directory>/
server/bin and type vista.
Pulse displays a login dialog.

2. Specify the default administration credentials to log in to Pulse Service Manager. The
default credentials are user name = admin and password = admin. You can modify the
password in the Security tab of Pulse Service Manager after you log in.
Note: The user name cannot be modified.
Pulse Service Manager starts. Its icon will be visible in your system tray.
A yellow dot is on the icon ( ) means there is a notification. For example, Pulse
displays a notification message that it is in maintenance because of a scheduled
maintenance tasks, such as backing up data.
If Pulse is unavailable because of scheduled maintenance tasks, it will resolve the
notification itself and the yellow dot will disappear. If it is a task you need to address, do
so, and the dot and notification will no longer be displayed.
3. Hover your mouse cursor over the Pulse icon ( ) in the system tray and check that the
status is RUNNING.
4. Click on the Pulse icon.
5. Select Manage to open the Pulse Service Manager web page.
Pulse Service Manager is displayed in a browser.
Important
If you work on Linux, ensure that you have defined a default browser. If not defined,
you can open Pulse Service Manager by using the following URL: http://
127.0.0.1:7100/element. On Windows, the only supported browsers are the latest
versions of Google Chrome and Firefox.

If you need to access the Setting dialog, click the gear icon on the top right of the page.
Creating and Using SSL Certificates in Pulse

Environment
If you want to ensure encrypted communication between the Pulse master and Data nodes
or client machines, you will need to create a Java KeyStore (JKS), which is a repository of
security certificates.
These can be authorization or public key certificates plus corresponding private keys, used
for SSL encryption.
To enable SSL encryption, create a JKS, and use it in the Pulse environment, do the following:
1. Enable the SSL option in Pulse Service Manager. See Specifying Security Settings for
Pulse Master Node.
2. Shut down the Pulse master node.
3. Generate a public/private key pair and wrap the public key into a self-signed certificate
inside a Java KeyStore (JKS).
Ensure that alias = edm and the keystore password = changeit.
To generate the self-signed certificate, you can use any key and certificate management
utility. For example, openSSL or keytool.
4. For Pulse to use edm.jks as a Key Store, do the following:

a. Copy edm.jks to <Pulse master node home>/server/conf/aurora/

security folder. The security folder will need to be manually created at this
location. If you run Pulse as a service on a Linux machine, also see Manually
Modifying Files in the Pulse Master Home Directory.
b. Restart the Pulse master node. It is now HTTPS enabled.
Modifying Pulse Master Settings After Initial

Configuration and Restarting Server
There are some maintenance tasks that you might need to do on a regular basis after you
complete the initial configuration, such as registering users, backing up server data, and so.
After some of these operations, or when you need to install an update, you might need to shut
down and restart the server.
Shutting Down and Restarting Pulse Master Node

You can shut down Pulse in the following ways:
■ Click SHUTDOWN in Pulse Service Manager, the browser-based page that provides
access to the configuration and other system settings of the Pulse server.
■ Click on the Pulse icon ( ) in the system tray and click Shutdown.
■ If you had installed Pulse as a service, stop the Pulse server as a service using the Vista
commands or the native operating system service control commands.
To use the Vista commands, open an elevated command prompt or a terminal window,
navigate to <installation_directory>/server/bin, and use the following
command: vista stopservice (for Windows) or sudo ./vista stopservice (on
Linux).
Important
Closing the web browser being used to view the Pulse Manager page will not shut
down Pulse.
If you work with a cluster server setup and a Pulse data node is still starting up when you
restart the Pulse master node, the data node might exhibit unusual behavior. In such cases,
it is recommended that you restart the relevant Pulse data node.
Related Topic

Modifying SSL Settings for the Pulse Master Node

If you did not select the encrypted communication between the Pulse master and Data nodes
or client machines during the initial configuration of your servers, you can modify the SSL
setting.
To modify the SSL setting, do the following:

1. Shut down all the Pulse data nodes.
2. In the Pulse Service Manager settings page, modify the SSL setting.
3. Restart the Pulse master node.
4. Restart the data nodes one by one. Because the Pulse master node changes from HTTP
to HTTPS, all the data nodes will be in an error state, since they cannot establish a
connection with the central server.
5. Modify the Remote URL field in the data nodes and restart them.
Related Topics
■ Specifying Security Settings for Pulse Master Node
■ Creating and Using SSL Certificates in Pulse Environment
Manually Modifying Files in the Pulse Master Home Directory

It is neither recommended nor will you typically need to modify files in the Pulse master home
directory, except in certain cases, which are as follows:
■ Configuring library distribution for a Pulse data node - editing the <Pulse master
home>/distribution/lib_dist.ini and fetch_dump.ini. Refer to Allegro
EDM Library Distribution User Guide for details.
■ Enabling SSL/TLS communication - creating the <Pulse master home>/server/
conf/aurora/security folder and placing the Java KeyStore (edm.jks) in the
security folder.
■ Enabling parts requests with an additional review for quality purposes - editing <Pulse
master home>/server/conf/workflow/workflow.json.
■ If you need to migrate the Publish for Manufacturing configuration - manually moving the
configuration to <Pulse master home>/server/data/Polaris.

On Linux
However, if you installed and run Pulse as a service on Linux, the installation script would
have created a Linux user and a group, both called pulse.
To write to folders owned by the pulse user when you modify files in the Pulse master home
directory, you need to obtain the required authorization. Or, you can become the pulse user
and make changes to files and folders in the Pulse master home directory by using the
following command on a terminal:
sudo su -l pulse -s /bin/bash
Related Topics
■ Creating and Using SSL Certificates in Pulse Environment
■ Enabling Part Request Process With Review
■ Running Pulse Server as a Service
Creating Template-Based Projects for Use by Designers

To include company standards for page borders, the TOC, block diagrams, or just to drive
consistent process, it is recommended that you provide some projects that can be used as
templates by designers.
You can also include Live BOM content so that electrical parts added to the template Live
BOM are preserved.
To create a project and define it as a template, do the following:

1. Launch Allegro System Capture.
2. Click New in the Start Page to create a project.
3. Define the page border, TOC, and any other detail you want to include in the project as
a template.

4. Add the keyword ‘template’ when committing the design to the Pulse server. The
keyword is case insensitive.
5. In a browser page, type: http://<host name>:<port>/search/app/

dashboard.
Note: This URL can also be the fully qualified domain name depending on how the
server is configured. See Defining FQDN for Pulse Master Node and Modifying Java
Memory.
The dashboard displays a list of all the projects in the Pulse platform. You can view the
newly committed design as a template here.

Modifying Projects Defined as Templates

dashboard.
server is configured. See Defining FQDN for Pulse Master Node and Modifying Java
Memory.
The dashboard displays a list of all the projects in the Pulse platform including the ones
saved as templates.
2. Click on the New Project button.
The Create New Project dialog is displayed. By default, this dialog displays all projects
that have the word ‘template’ in their name or tag.
3. Select an existing project to modify the fields or remove the word ‘template’ to view a list
of all projects in the Pulse platform. These can be projects that were saved as templates
or just standard projects.
4. Select the project you want to work with and click Next.

The Create New Project dialog is displayed.
5. Modify or specify the required details and click Create.
Switching from Managed to Unmanaged Libraries and

Vice Versa in Pulse Master Node
You can work with managed or unmanaged libraries depending on your requirements. If you
switch from managed to unmanaged libraries or vice versa, you must restart the Pulse
cluster. Any open client applications, such as System Capture, must also be restarted by
designers.
When you switch from:

■ managed to unmanaged libraries, Unified Search will continue to display parts from
managed libraries until System Capture is restarted.

■ unmanaged to managed libraries, Unified Search displays an error when designers try
and view part details. Exiting and launching System Capture again will address this
problem.
Switching From Managed to Unmanaged Libraries
To switch from managed to unmanaged libraries, do the following:

2. Select Nodes in the left pane. Servers with star icons next to them indicate Pulse master
servers/nodes. Icons also indicate whether a machine is a Windows or Linux machine.
Settings icon
3. Select the Pulse master node whose library option you want to modify.
4. Click the Settings icon.

5. Select Nodes.
6. Delete the value in the Pulse Home field.

7. Click the Save button.
8. Click on Cluster.
9. Click on Library Management.

10. Under Indexer Settings, enable library indexing to work with unmanaged libraries.

If you choose this option, you must set the CDS_SITE environment variable because the
Pulse master node fetches library data from CDS_SITE.
11. Provide the path to the unmanaged libraries if you toggle Enable Library Indexing on.
Switching From Unmanaged to Managed Libraries
To switch from unmanaged to managed libraries, do the following:

2. Select Nodes in the left pane. Servers with star icons next to them indicate Pulse master
servers/nodes. Icons also indicate whether a machine is a Windows or Linux machine.
Settings icon

3. Select the Pulse master node whose library option you want to modify.
4. Click the Settings icon.
5. Click on Cluster.
6. Click on Library Management.

7. Under Indexer Settings, disable library indexing and delete the path to the library.

8. Select Nodes.
9. Specify the path to the Allegro EDM-managed library in the Pulse Home field.
10. Click the Save button.
Related Topic
About Library Management in Pulse: Managed or Unmanaged Libraries
Configuring a Node as a Pulse Data Node

If you decide on a cluster of a Pulse master node and multiple data nodes, you will need to
specify the URL of the Pulse master node (called the remote URL) in the machines that work
as data nodes.
Once you specify the remote URL in the data nodes, library and design data will be fetched
from the Pulse master node to the data nodes and will then be accessed by the client
machines.
Important
If the library server license (PCB_Library_Server_XL) is not available, a node will
start up in maintenance mode, which means that Pulse services will not be
available. You can still set the remote URL to configure the node as a data node. On
restarting Pulse, the data node will not try and check out a license (only the Pulse
master node will check out a license for the Pulse cluster).
To configure a node as a Pulse data node, do the following:

1. Start Pulse Service Manager to access the web page that gives you access to all the
configuration options.
2. Select Nodes in the left pane.
3. You can do the following:

❑ Modify where Pulse stores data (Pulse Home). Spaces are not supported in this
path. If you modify this location, Pulse resets the password to the default, which is
admin. As the administrator, you will need to modify the default again and set it to
your required password.
❑ Modify the server port, if required. This is usually needed when certain ports cannot
be used because of firewall restrictions in your organization. Remember that if you
modify the port here, you need to ensure that the two preceding ports are open on
every Pulse data node machine.
The two preceding, additional open ports are needed for Pulse functions.
❑ Specify the URL of the Pulse master Node. Multiple Pulse data nodes can be
connected to the same Pulse master node. However, a Pulse data node cannot be
connected to two different Pulse master nodes.
Note: You will not define a remote URL for the Pulse master node.
❑ For easier identification of a machine, you might want to specify the geographical
location of the machine. Pulse Manager displays the location of various machines
on a map to help you track and locate them easily.

❑ If a site uses proxy servers for Internet access, specify the proxy server URL for
accessing content providers, such as Ultra Librarian, SamacSys. For example:
http://proxy.my_company.com:8080
Related Topics
■ Deployment Environments on the Pulse Platform
■ About Configuration Options for a Multi-User Environment
■ Accessing Pulse Service Manager Page for Pulse Server Administrators
Converting a Pulse Master Node to a Pulse Data Node
If you convert a node that was working as the Pulse master node and make it a Pulse data
node, note the following:

■ Cluster-level settings are not migrated when the master node is converted to a data
node. For example, if you had defined some Java settings for the master node, these
settings are carried over to the new machine now defined master node.
You will have to specify these settings again in the new master node.
Related Topic
Configuring a Node as a Pulse Data Node
Pulse Server Administrators: Troubleshooting
PULSE_TEAM_COLLAB license count is lower than expected

Even if you have multiple license servers specified in your license file, the
PULSE_TEAM_COLLAB license is checked out only from one license server. As a result, the
count of licenses indicated in the Pulse Manager browser page might be lower than the actual
number of licenses being used.
Slots + 20% overdraft
Users created and marked as

active in Pulse User
Number of additional users that can be added or enabled

in Pulse User Management
Allegro Pulse Node Starts up in Maintenance Mode

One possible reason is that you do not have a library server license
(PCB_Library_Server_XL). If this license is not available, a node will start up in maintenance
mode, which means that Pulse services will not be available. You can still set the remote URL

to configure the node as a data node. On restarting Pulse, the data node will not try and check
out a license (only the Pulse master node will check out a license for the Pulse cluster).
Pulse Server Login Page not Available for Designers
If designers connected to the Pulse server do not see the login page on launching System
Capture or PCB Editor/APD+, ensure that the specified Remote URL (Pulse server URL) is
added to the pop-up blocker exception list on the designers’ machines. For example: http:/
/<host>:<port>
Preview Not Generated in System Capture After Saving or Committing a

Design
For server-side jobs that invoke graphical tools, Pulse requires a physical or virtual display.
To ensure that you can view the preview, check that you have set the DISPLAY variable on
the Pulse master node machine (Vista).
If you want to use a virtual display, you can use the following command:
xvfb:<port> -ac -nolisten tcp &
setenv DISPLAY :<post>
For example:
xvfb:10 -ac -nolisten tcp &
setenv DISPLAY:10

4
Customization Options
In the single or multi-user environment, administrators (System Capture designers in the

single-user environment) can customize the headers in the Live BOM user interface, enable
or disable part content providers (SamacSys and Ultra Librarian), manage the visibility of
various part properties in Unified Search, and configure outputs and the package structure to
publish data to a PLM system.
Note: Because Unified Search in OrCAD Capture is only for parts from content providers
(SamacSys and Ultra Librarian), OrCAD users cannot disable providers.
In the multi-user environment, users defined as Administrators in Pulse User

Management can also customize workflows and the user interface of the part request form,
to suit their organization’s requirements. See Managing Users in Multi-User Pulse
Environment.
Multi-user environment administrators can also customize the part request process to make
sure that a part linked to a part request or to an ECO request is reviewed. Called the part
request with review process, this also ensures that the librarian who checked in the part
cannot release the part.
To customize any option in the multi-user environment, you must log in to System Capture
with administrator credentials. The default credentials are user name = administrator and
password = pwd. If you changed the administrator password in the Security tab of Pulse
Service Manager (see Specifying Security Settings for Pulse Master Node), use that
password.
Customizations options in Allegro Pulse are as follows:

■ Customizing Live BOM Headers
■ Customizing Unified Search
❑ Customizing Advanced Search Queries in Unified Search
❑ Customizing Properties to be Displayed in Summary Column of Unified Search
❑ Controlling Display Order of Facets in Unified Search

❑ Disabling Content Providers and Managing Property Visibility in Unified Search

■ Configuring Outputs and Package Structure to Publish ECAD Data for Manufacturing
■ Customizing In-Design Workflows
■ Customizing Project Creation Form
■ Customization Options for Library Management
❑ Enabling Additional Object Types in Component Database
❑ Enabling Part Request Process With Review
❑ Customizing Part Request Form
❑ Enabling/Disabling Part Requests for Specific Content Providers
❑ Influencing Favorable Component Usage by Designers
Customizing Live BOM Headers

The bill of materials (BOM) provides a list of components, materials, and parts necessary to
produce the board design, as well as other details. The Live BOM in Allegro System Capture
provides access to real-time data, such as library properties and the part life cycle state.
Typically, parameters such as quantity, comment, description, reference designator,
footprint, and so on are displayed.
However, to analyze part usage more quickly, you can enable or display various parameters.
For example, if you enable the display of tolerance, you can filter the Live BOM to view all
resistors and their tolerance values.
To enable or disable the display of parameters in Live BOM, do the following:

1. Click Live BOM in the System Capture Project pane.

2. Click the Configure button in the top-right of the schematic pane.
3. Modify your selections as required.

4. Click Publish.
Customizing Unified Search

As an administrator, you can customize the Unified Search pane in a number of ways.
Customizing Advanced Search Queries in Unified Search

Pulse uses the following 22 characters in its logging service:
Character In Words
+ plus sign
- minus sign

Character In Words
+ plus sign
& ampersand
| pipe, vertical bar, logical operator
! exclamation point
() parentheses
{} braces
[] brackets
^ caret
"
~ tilde
*
? question mark
: colon
\ backslash
= equal sign
<> angle brackets
/ slash
If Allegro System Capture designers want to create search queries with wild cards or regular
expressions in the Unified Search pane, as an administrator, do the following:
1. Copy the search.config file from <Cadence installation directory>/
tools/pcbdw/configs/unicorn to a different folder where you have write
permission.
2. Open the search.config file in a text editor.
3. Remove the characters to be used in regular expressions or wild cards from the list of
auto-escape chars under the following section of the search.config file:
"charsToEscape"

Important
Ensure that you do not remove the following: : (colon) because it is a separator for
field names and values and “ (double quote), which is used for exact matches. For
regular expressions, you should use the capital "AND" "OR" for and/or conditions.
If you modify the list of characters under this section, ensure that the removed characters
are not present in the library data set.
4. Save the search.config file.
5. Open the Pulse dashboard using the following URL: http://<host name>:<port>/
projects.
6. Log in with administrator credentials.
7. Click the hamburger icon to open the settings options.
8. Click Upload Configuration to make the changes available to all designers in Unified
Search.
9. Select the modified search.config file and click Open.
The configuration is updated and the changed Summary column is available and visible
to all designers connected to this Pulse server.
Once uploaded, if you need to make changes again, you can simply download the latest
search.config file using the Download Configuration option. The file is download-
ed to the default location specified in your browser.

Modify the file as required and upload it again.
Customizing Properties to be Displayed in Summary Column of Unified

Search
You can decide the properties that should be displayed in the Summary column of Unified
Search.
To customize the properties in this column, do the following:

permission.

3. Modify the summary section as required. Here is an example of this section:

{
"name": "summary",
"includes":
"description,function_designation,value,voltage,volt,tolerance,t
ol,current,curr,power,watt,wattage,rating,material,type,name,pac
k_type,height,status,rohs,cost,price",
"excludes": ""
},
projects.
Search.

Controlling Display Order of Facets in Unified Search

By clicking the Filters button in Unified Search, Allegro System Capture designers can
access default filters, such as Classification, Value, Voltage, Wattage, Type, and so on.
These filters are known as Facets.
You can control the order in which these facets are displayed to designers in Unified Search
by doing the following:
permission.
3. Under the facets section of this file, modify the order as required. The following is a
sample:
{
"name": "facets",
"display": "",
"includes":
"classification,lifecycle,value,voltage,volt,tolerance,tol,curre
nt,curr,power,watt,wattage,rating,material,type,name,pack_type,f
ootprint,height,status,rohs,cost,price,*",
"excludes": ""
},

4. Save the search.config file.

projects.
Search.

Disabling Content Providers and Managing Property Visibility in Unified

Search
If Allegro System designers only want parts from CDS_SITE libraries, they can disable one
or both content providers - SamacSys or Ultra Librarian. If both are disabled, users will no
longer be prompted to log in to the Unified Search content providers.
Note: Because Unified Search in OrCAD Capture is only for parts from content providers
(SamacSys and Ultra Librarian), OrCAD users cannot disable the providers.
You can also customize the properties you want to view in the Unified Search pane in Allegro
System Capture OrCAD Capture.
To disable content providers or to manage the visibility of various properties, do the following:
1. Click the Global Navigation button in the Unified Search tab.
2. Select Configure Providers.
The Configure Providers dialog box opens.
4. Click Publish.
The new settings are published for the selected content provider.
Note: To reflect these modified settings, designers will need to restart the client
application (for example, System Capture).

If you have modified the visibility of any property, the change is displayed in the Part
Details pane.
Configuring Outputs and Package Structure to Publish

ECAD Data for Manufacturing
Publish for Manufacturing enables you to publish data to your Product Lifecycle Management
system so that the product can be manufactured. Publish for Manufacturing provides a
solution that enables you to create a Manufacturing Data Set that includes the ECAD Bill of
Materials (BOM) as well as source and derived files to through a structured template.
Configuration allows you to define the required outputs and the package structure per your
release process. Refer to the Publish for Manufacturing User Guide for details about how
to configure and publish ECAD data for manufacturing.

Customizing In-Design Workflows

To ensure that a design team follows a consistent methodology to create their designs, Pulse
provides a default series of steps, referred as the Design workflow, to create an electronics
design. This workflow is provided in Allegro System Capture.
As an administrator, you can create a customized series of sequential tasks mapped in a way
that the process and its associated activities and assets move seamlessly from step to step.
Using these worklows, System Capture designers can follow the steps that will guide them to
bring a project from start to finish.
The default, and any customized workflows, are available to designers only in the multi-user
environment (Managed Library and Workflow and Library and Adhoc Team Design tiers).
To create a customized workflow, you must first launch a System Capture project and log in
to the Pulse platform with the administrator credential. The default credentials are user name
= administrator and password = pwd.
Once you log in, editing options are available in the Workflow pane.
Using Copy As, you can create a custom workflow by

copying the default workflow, renaming it, and
modifying it as needed.
You can also delete a custom workflow (the default

workflow cannot be deleted).

You can also edit an existing workflow by right-clicking on a task in the workflow and using
the shortcut menu options.

You can rename a workflow; edit a

task in a workflow; add a task to a
workflow; and make a task a sub or
parent task of another step in the
workflow.
When creating a
task, or editing an
existing one, you
can specify a name
and description for
the task, and specify
a command to
launch the utility
related to the task.

After you finish creating the workflow, click Publish to make the workflow available to
designers.
Customizing Project Creation Form

Pulse provides a default project creation form that designers fill in. The default project form
has fields for key information that Cadence thinks you might want your designers to specify,
such as the project name, project status, schematic number, and so on.
However, because your organization might want additional (or less) detail than what Cadence
thinks you might need, users with the administrator role can customize this form to define the
fields they require from designers. You can as many new fields you require, which is only
restricted by the real estate of the user interface.
The project creation form has a dynamic database schema, so any changes you make here
will reflect instantly in the authoring application’s New From Template dialog. Furthermore,
the fields you define in the project creation form get resolved in the Allegro System Capture
user interface (for example, $cds_JobNumber).
To customize the project creation form, do the following:

1. Start Pulse Service Manager to access the customizable project creation form. See
Accessing Pulse Service Manager Page for Pulse Server Administrators.
dashboard.

The dashboard is displayed.
3. Click the hamburger icon on the top right and select Edit Project Form.
The default configurable project creation form is displayed.
A few points to keep in mind:

❑ Data Bindings: You can either select from an existing data type from the Data
Binding drop-down, provided this data type is not already assigned to a field in the
form.
To generate a new data binding, select the required UI control (for example, Text
Box) in the middle pane, ensure that Auto Generate is selected in the Data Binding
field, and publish the form. Pulse automatically assigns it a data binding based on
the label.

For example, if you gave the text box the label Demo, the data binding will be
cds_Demo. If you did not specify any label for the UI control, the data binding will
be cds_TextBox.
❑ You can drag and drop the UI controls in the middle pane. To help you place a UI
control more precisely, and to define the limits of a UI field, grid lines are displayed

when you click and hold down a UI control in the middle pane. You can also resize
a UI control in the middle pane to fit the data type text in the field.
❑ Mandatory toggle button: As an administrator, you can define which fields should
be mandatory for designers when a part request is being raised or modified.
❑ Read Only toggle button: Define which fields designers can only view but not
modify. For example, a status field.
4. To make the customized form available to designers, click Publish on the top right of the
form.
Related Topic
Creating Template-Based Projects for Use by Designers
Customization Options for Library Management

To enable some features of Allegro EDM that are not available out of the box, you can use the
adwschema utility. For example, you can enable support for the Unicode character set, or
enable the import of Capture libraries into Allegro EDM. Because many companies use a mix
of front-end Cadence applications such as OrCAD Capture and Design Entry HDL (DE-HDL)

for schematic development, and Allegro EDM for library development and management, you
can manage DE-HDL and Capture libraries in Allegro EDM.
You can also enable part requests, which would allow designers to submit requests for
components that are not in the company parts database to a dedicated library department
within their company. If you enable this option, you can also customize the part request form
and enable a review of the part linked to a part request.
See also About Allegro EDM.
Enabling Additional Object Types in Component Database

To enable some features of Allegro EDM that are not available out of the box, you can use the
adwschema utility.
Object Types You Can Enable in Allegro EDM Component Database

■ Enable part requests
This option enables Allegro System Capture designers working in a multi-user
environment (Managed Library and Workflow and Adhoc Team Design tiers) to submit
part requests to librarians. Librarians can then act on these requests (accept, decline,
and so on). When enabled, part request menu options are displayed in Allegro System
Capture.
If enabled, part requests can also be submitted for parts similar to those in SamacSys or
Ultra Librarian.
Also see Enabling Part Request Process With Review and Librarians: Managing Part
Requests.
■ Option to link a datasheet specification for a footprint
■ Option for Database Editor to write and store all electrical part numbers in uppercase
letters in the component database
■ Support for mixed case in PTF properties
■ Support for the Unicode character set
Only available on the Windows platform. Enable support for the Unicode character set to
specify non-ECAD properties in Allegro EDM in languages such as Chinese, Japanese,
Korean, and so on.

Important
For Allegro EDM to support Unicode characters, you must ensure that the file you
import into Allegro EDM using Data Exchange, Library Import, or Database Editor
is in UTF-8 format.
All Unicode characters are supported in EDM except for the following:
❑ Double quotes ( " )
❑ Single quotes ( ' )
❑ Comma ( , )
❑ Asterisk ( * )
❑ Question mark ( ? )
■ Import of OrCAD Capture libraries into Allegro EDM
Enable the Capture database schema in Allegro EDM to import or create OrCAD
Capture libraries and parts in Allegro EDM.
After you create, or import existing OrCAD Capture libraries and parts into Allegro EDM
and modify them, Allegro EDM automatically creates revisions. You can then distribute
the updated design libraries to companies or specified design sites using Library
Distribution, and use Data Exchange to synchronize data with external systems.

The flowchart illustrates the OrCAD Capture library flow in Allegro EDM:
You can also import existing OrCAD Capture libraries and parts into Allegro EDM using
Library Import, or create new Capture libraries using Database Administrator.
■ Manufacturer Part Numbers and Reliability
You can enable manufacturer's part numbers (MPN) to associate MPNs to your
organization’s part numbers. This is helpful for designers who know the manufacturer
part number (MPN) and not the corporate part number and would like to search for a part
using the MPN. It is also helpful for when you, as a librarian, have applied qualification
attributes to an MPN that can help designers decide whether to use a part in the design.
This requires the management of an alternate manufacturer list (AML) and attributes for
a specific electrical part in the same system as that used for managing corporate parts.
Thus, all the information related to AML will be available in a single database. Designers
can then choose from this list of components.

You can then integrate alternate manufacturer lists and reliability data into the Allegro
EDM component database. After you create additional object types related to
manufacturer parts or reliability using the adwschema utility, you can import their
corresponding objects into EDM using Data Exchange. Refer to Allegro EDM Object
Import User Guide for details on how to import the data.
■ Reliability
You can enable the ability to specify properties that define the reliability of a part, such as:
❑ electrical or thermal reliability of electrical parts to compare and analyze the
behavior of designs
❑ temperature reliability attribute for integrated circuits with a minimum, maximum, or
average-working temperature.
❑ Mean Time Between Failures (MTBF) as one of the attributes of durability
❑ electrical interference that specifies the environment in which an electrical part can
work
Also see Allegro EDM Object Import User Guide.
Important
After you enable any object type, you will need to update the Allegro EDM database
schema using adw_uprev.
Using adwschema Utility
To enable object types in the component database, the Allegro EDM Library Administrator
needs to run the following command at the Allegro EDM Prompt: adwschema <options>
where <options> are explained in the following table:
Options Description
-enable Enables the extension that is specified by Extension_id.
[Extension_id] You can either type adwschema -enable
[Extension_id] on the command line or enter numbers
from 0-9 to specify your choice.

-disable Disables a schema extension that has been enabled. The list
[Extension_id] of extensions displayed for this parameter depends on the
extensions that have been enabled.
-addAttribute - Adds the <attribute_name> attribute to the
Manufacturer Manufacturer object type. If the attribute name contains
<attribute_name> spaces, specify the name with double quotation marks
-deleteAttribute - Deletes the <attribute_name> attribute of the
Manufacturer Manufacturer object type. You cannot delete these attributes
<attribute_name> if there are objects linked to the manufacturer object type
Enabling Part Request Process With Review

If you enable part requests, you can do the following to make sure that a part linked to a part
request or an ECO request is reviewed and that the librarian who checked in the part cannot
release the part. See also Enabling Additional Object Types in Component Database.
To enable the part request process with review, do the following:
On the machine where you are running the Pulse master node, browse and open: <PULSE
HOME>/server/conf/workflow/workflow.json. If you run Pulse as a service on a
Linux machine, see Manually Modifying Files in the Pulse Master Home Directory.
The default contents of the JSON file are as follows:

{
"workflow" : {
"_comment": "For all process definition names mapping write it in lowercase
preferably for ease of use",
"SMTP_MAIL_HOSTNAME": "hostname",
"SMTP_MAIL_USER": "",
"SMTP_MAIL_AUTH": "",
"SMTP_MAIL_PORT": "587",
"part_request" : "npr",
"part_request_eco" : "npr"
},
"part_model_request" : {
"prefix" : "Request_"
}

Modify the following two lines to

"part_request" : "npr_review",
"part_request_eco" : "npr_review"
Restart the Pulse master node.
Customizing Part Request Form

If you enable the part request process (see Enabling Additional Object Types in Component
Database), Pulse provides a default part request form that designers and engineers use to
submit part requests. The default part request form has fields for key information that
Cadence thinks you might want your designers to specify, such as the manufacturer and part
number, a description for the part being requested, any relevant datasheet (PDF or URL).
However, because your organization might want additional (or even less) detail than what
Cadence thinks you might need, as an administrator, you can customize this form to define
the fields you require on the form. You can only work with the fields provided by default. You
cannot modify the database schema to add fields.
To access the part request dialog that can be customized, start Pulse Service Manager. See
Accessing Pulse Service Manager Page for Pulse Server Administrators.
In the browser URL field, type /npr at the end to open the Part Request dashboard. Click the
hamburger icon on the top right and select Edit Part Request Form.

The default configurable part request form is displayed.
A few points to keep in mind:
Data Bindings: The data type to which you can bind a UI control is predefined in the New
Part Request database schema. This schema cannot be modified by users of any role,
including administrators. For example, a text box can only be assigned to four data types,
which you can select from the Data Binding drop-down list. Or a Classification can only be
assigned to the Classification data type.

Furthermore, when a UI control can be assigned to only one data type, the label is pre-filled
to simplify your work. You can modify the label if required.

Drag and drop: You can drag and drop the UI controls from the left pane (Components list)
to the Part Request pane (middle). The Part Request pane is the dialog will be displayed to
designers and engineers who will raise part requests.
You can also drag and drop the UI controls within the Part Request pane. To help you place a UI control more
precisely, and to define the limits of a UI field, grid lines are displayed when you click and hold down a UI
control in the Part Request pane.
You can also resize a UI control in the Part Request pane to fit the data type text in the field.
Mandatory toggle button: As an administrator, you can define which fields should be
mandatory for designers when a part request is being raised or modified.

Read Only toggle button: Define which fields designers can only view but not modify. For
example, a status field.
To make the customized form available to designers, click Publish on the top right of the form.
Enabling/Disabling Part Requests for Specific Content Providers

In the multi-user environment, if an administrator has enabled the part request object type in
the component database (see Enabling Additional Object Types in Component Database),
they can disable part requests for specific content providers.
1. Click the Global Navigation button in the Unified Search tab.
2. Select Configure Providers.
The Configure Providers dialog box opens.

4. Click Publish.

Searching for parts or raising part requests for the selected content provider is disabled
or enabled.
Influencing Favorable Component Usage by Designers

As an administrator or component engineer, you might want to direct or influence designers
to use a particular set of parts defined at the organization level. These parts may be based
on parameters such as reliability, availability, best deals based on vendor relations, design
type, EoL date, and so on.
You can define these parameters in a way that ensures that their numbers are reduced in the
unique BOM list across all projects or systems, which improves efficiency. This also has
benefits such as:
■ Fewer unique parts means less interaction with various vendors.
■ Cost efficiency due to bulk purchases of parts
■ Increases the probability of designers using recommended components, which improves
efficiency due to correct part selection thus shortening the design cycle.
Unified Search facilitates visual indication for recommended components, restrictions for non-
recommended parts, and the option to add parts with warnings that are completely
configurable at the organization level.You can use various color combinations with actions to
define standards at the organization level for a particular set of design types. For example,
Recommendation for RF Designs can be marked with a green icon, or Highspeed with
blue.
You can also restrict the use of certain parts based on your criteria by assigning appropriate
actions and notes as required.
To define the use of a particular set of parts by designers, do the following:

1. Access the Configure Rules dialog using one of the following methods:

❑ Launch System Capture and click the hamburger icon in the Unified Search pane,
then select Configure Rules.
❑ To access the dialog through a browser, type the following in the URL field: http:/
/<host name>:<port>/search.
As a librarian, you are unlikely to be working with System Capture, so it might be
easier for you to access the Configure Rules dialog through a browser.
Pulse master node is configured.
The Configure Rules dialog is displayed.

2. Click your cursor in an empty row.
3. Select the required property, value, and action from the drop-down fields.
4. Select the required icon and color for the specified action.
5. Add a note if required.

6. Click Publish to apply the new rule to parts that match its specifications.

Once rules are specified and published, designers will view parts as follows in the Unified
Search pane:
Hovering the cursor over part displays a tool tip with more details.


5
Librarians: Managing Part Requests
An Allegro EDM administrator can enable some features that are not available out of the box,
such as the option to submit part requests. This option is only available in the multi-user
environment (Managed Library and Workflow and Adhoc Team Design).
If enabled, designers can submit requests for components that are not in the company parts
database to a dedicated library department or librarians within an organization. See Enabling
Additional Object Types in Component Database.
As a librarian, you can manage part requests in two ways:

■ using the Allegro System Capture Part Request Dashboard. See the System Capture
guide for details on this dashboard. You will likely use this method if you have been
assigned the role of Designer and Librarian in Pulse User Management. To use this
method, you must log in to Allegro System Capture with a librarian’s user credentials.
■ If you are a designer, you do not need to open System Capture to access the part request
dashboard. You can access it directly from a browser using the following URL:
<Pulse Service Manager URL>:7100/npr
You can do the following with part requests: assign it to someone, ask the designer who
submitted the request for more information, put the request on hold or free it from hold,
subscribe to or unsubscribe from a request. You will need to add a comment for all these
tasks.
You can also edit the submitted request or cancel it.
Important
A part request can only be canceled from Allegro EDM Database Editor. It cannot
be canceled from the Part Request Dashboard. Refer to Allegro EDM Database
Editor User Guide for details on how launch this utility and work with it.
To make sure that a part linked to a part request or an ECO request is reviewed and that the
librarian who checked in the part cannot release the part, an administrator or library
administrator can also enable a part request with review process.

Related Topics
Enabling Part Request Process With Review
Customizing Part Request Form
Enabling/Disabling Part Requests for Specific Content Providers.
Librarians: Adding Parts to the PLM System and Component Database

Because part numbers and their naming patterns are typically authored and decided in
enterprise PLM systems, designers can now submit a part request for a PLM-generated part
number. This also ensures that multiple systems such as a PLM system and the ECAD library
database are in sync with the new parts being requested by designers.
To use parts from external providers such as SamacSys or Ultra Librarian in design projects,
designers can submit a new part request for the same parts to be created in the PLM system
and in the company’s central repository of parts.
For System Capture designs to use this feature, as an administrator, you will first need to
configure and set up a PLM connector using the Library Synchronization service. For details
on how to do this, refer to the Cadence document Synchronizing Part Data in PLM
Systems with Pulse-Managed Libraries.
To make it easier for you to identify newly created parts in the PLM system, it is recommended
that you make the Description field in the New Part Request form mandatory for designers
when they submit a part request for a PLM-generated part number. See Customizing Part
Request Form.
After a part request for a PLM-generated part number is submitted by a designer, do the
following to add the part to the PLM system and the Pulse database:
1. Access the Part Request dashboard through Allegro System Capture or a web browser.
As a librarian, you are unlikely to be working with System Capture, so it might be easier
for you to access the dashboard through a browser.
To access the part request dashboard through a browser, type the following in the URL
field: http://<host name>:<port>/projects/npr.
Note: This URL can also be the fully qualified domain name depending on how the Pulse
master node is configured.

The Part Request dashboard is displayed in a browser page.
2. Right-click on the part request whose part you want to add to the PLM system and select
Create PLM Part.
A message that the part has been added to the PLM system is displayed with the part
number.

You can then check that the part has been created in the PLM system
After the part is created in the PLM system, you can add the part to the Pulse component
database.
3. In the Part Request dashboard, right-click on the part request whose part you need to
add to the Pulse component database and select Create Part.

The part is added to the component database and a message is displayed with the part
number.

You can now search for this part in Allegro EDM Database Editor.

Modify the part as required.

After modifying it, check it in, if needed, and release it.

When checking in a part that was created for a part request, specify the request number.
After checking in the part, you can release it.

After you release the part, the status of the part request changes to Completed in the
Part Request dashboard.

6
Defining Root Directory and Creating
Client Startup Script
Because libraries are managed by Library Manager in the multi-user Pulse environment (see
Defining Library Management Settings for Pulse Master Node), you need to define a root
directory and create a client startup script.
What is a root directory?
To help manage a distributed and complex configuration environment, you need to define a
root directory, which stores all the information for customized configurations for multiple sites.
This root directory is referred to as Allegro EDM Conf Root or also <ADW_CONF_ROOT>.
The root directory has the names of your:

■ Company
■ Master site
■ Default site
It also has the site-level (CDS_SITE) settings for Allegro design and layout tools, such
as Design Entry HDL, PCB Editor.
What is client startup script?
A client startup script in Allegro EDM is used to launch Allegro EDM Flow Manager, a utility
that is, among other things, a cockpit to launch library management utilities, such as
Database Editor, Database Administration, Library Distribution, and so on.
The startup script, called <startworkbench>, also has information such as the Cadence
application version you are running, the path to your Allegro EDM Conf Root, the default
browser that will be used by EDM applications that work with browsers, and so on.

Defining Root Directory and Creating Client Startup Script
Depending on the configuration information in <startworkbench>, the Allegro EDM

client application (in this case, a library-related utility) connects to a company and site, which
in turn connect to a server.
■ If the server is the Pulse master node, the client application can access all the library flow
and database administration utilities and make changes to library elements.
Library elements are objects in the Cadence libraries, which can be any one of the
following:
❑ Schematic Models - logical parts or symbols used by a logic designer during the
design capture phase.
❑ PCB Models - refers to back-end models, such as shapes, padstacks, and footprints,
which are required while designing a board.
❑ Datasheets - support to add part datasheets to the library database.
❑ Parts - an electronic representation of an off-the-shelf part, with complete
information about the logical data required to capture the design logic, physical data
required to complete the physical layout, and also information required for procuring
and the manufacturing the part.
■ If the server is a Pulse data node, the Allegro EDM client application:
❑ cannot run any library-related utility on the Pulse data node.
❑ can run only design-related client applications on the Pulse data node.
Defining a Root Directory

To define a root directory, that is, Allegro EDM Conf Root, do the following:
1. Launch Allegro EDM Configuration Manager. See Launching Allegro EDM Configuration
Manager.

2. Click Set up or Manage Company & Site.

❑ To define a new location for Allegro EDM Conf Root, type a path or navigate to a
directory.
❑ To modify the details of existing sites, select an existing Allegro Conf Root. The
company and site cannot be changed when using an existing Allegro EDM Conf
Root. If there is a previously defined company, sites set as the default sites are
displayed in the ADW_CONF_ROOT page.

4. Click Next and do one of the following:

❑ If you are setting up Allegro EDM Conf Root for the first time, specify the company
and site details.
❑ If you are modifying an existing Allegro EDM Conf Root, modify the company and
site details that are automatically displayed.
A master company and site are responsible for library development and distribution of
component information to all the client sites. There can be only one master company and
site in the Allegro EDM environment. A master site, defined by the ATDM_MASTER_SITE
environment variable (in <adw_conf_root>\here.tcl).
See About Sites in the Pulse Environment for details on how a site is defined in the Pulse
and Allegro EDM environment.
5. Click OK to complete the setting up of a new Allegro EDM Conf Root.

The workbench.ini file interface is displayed.
This file is specific to a company and site and contains the configuration parameters for
accessing the component database and reference library.
In a collaborative design environment, because each company or site can use a different
library server and reference library, you can use this file to customize the site-level
settings for the database.
Note: Custom configuration settings at the company level are currently not supported.
Creating Client Startup Script

Manager.

2. Click Set up Client on the Welcome screen. You can create a new client application or
modify an existing one.
3. Specify a location for the client startup script file.

4. Enter the name of the client startup script, for example, startworkbench, or select
the existing file.
5. Click Create/Edit.
A page appears to set up or modify the client startup script.
6. Specify values for the fields in this script such as:
❑ Allegro EDM Home
❑ Allegro EDM Conf Root
❑ Allegro EDM Projects Home
❑ Library Directory
❑ CDS Root
Note: By default, the value of Allegro EDM Home and CDS Root is the same and
is automatically populated by the script.
❑ MS Office Home
❑ Office Viewers Home
❑ Acrobat Home
❑ Netscape Home
❑ Internet Explorer Home

❑ Wordpad Home
7. Click OK.
The client startup script is created.
To access any Allegro EDM tool, you double-click the client startup script to launch
Allegro EDM Flow Manager. This application is, among other things, a cockpit through
which you can access various EDM tools.
Before you start working with Flow Manager, you will need to configure it if you work in
companies with strict firewall policies.

Configuring Allegro EDM Flow Manager in Organizations

with Controlled Computing Environment
To comply with the security policies of the IT division of your company, ECAD administrators
might need to configure Java applet-based EDM applications, such as Allegro EDM Flow
Manager, as secure applications.
To address the issue of security and compatibility in browser applets, you can use a
Deployment Rule Set (DRS) to whitelist (mark as trustworthy) Allegro EDM Flow Manager. A
DRS is a signed JAR file called DeploymentRuleSet.jar.
As the person responsible for maintaining the Cadence installation hierarchy (often an ECAD/
CAD administrator), you will need to work with the IT division of your company to create and
push the Deployment Rule Set to all the machines that work with Allegro EDM Flow Manager.
As an administrator, you can deploy a DRS for every system that has the EDM client. In this
case, each designer must contact IT to get the DRS deployed on their machine and to
whitelist their Cadence installation directory location.
Note: Currently, the Java runtime in the Cadence installation is at version 1.8. As a result,
Flow Manager does not support the -tsa (for time stamping) option in JDK 1.8 to sign the
DeploymentRuleSet.jar.
Important
Allegro EDM does not support the whitelisting of individual/specific folders or files in
the Cadence installation directory.
See the Oracle documentation for details about deployment rule sets and jarsigner time
stamp options.
Self-Signed Certificates in the Java Deployment Rule Set
If you decide to use a self-signed certificate to create and sign the Java Deployment Rule Set,
designers will not be able to work with Flow Manager unless you define the certificate as a
trusted certificate.
To define the self-signed certificate as trusted, as the ECAD administrator, do the following:
1. Launch Java Control Panel using <Cadence installation
directory>\tools\pcbdw\jre\bin\javacpl.exe.
2. In Java Control Panel, select the Security tab and click on Manage Certificates.

3. In the Certificates dialog, select Signer CA from the Certificate type drop-down list.
4. Import the self-signed certificate file. You might need to set the file type filter to All Files
to view the certificate.
5. Close the dialog.
After you import the self-signed certificate, the trusted.cacerts file at the following
location is updated:
%USERPROFILE%\AppData\LocalLow\Sun\Java\Deployment\security
Copy this trusted.cacerts file to <ADW_CONF_ROOT>/<Company>/<Site>/
cdssetup/projmgr/JavaDeployment.

This is a one-time task.

Note: If the Allegro EDM client is set up on each individual designer’s machine, each
designer will need to copy the trusted certificate to their <ADW_CONF_ROOT>.
To simplify this task, as the ECAD administrator, you can share the trusted certificate with
the designers and they can copy it to their <ADW_CONF_ROOT>/<Company>/
<Site>/cdssetup/projmgr/JavaDeployment.
6. Start Allegro EDM Flow Manager.
Launching Allegro EDM Configuration Manager

1. First shut down any running instances of Pulse Service Manager (vista.bat). To know
whether there are any running instances of Pulse Service Manager, hover over the Pulse
icon ( ) in your system tray and check the status.
If the status is RUNNING, click on the icon and select Shutdown from the shortcut menu.
2. Navigate to the following location:
<installation_directory>\conf
For example: C:\Cadence\SPB_17.4\conf
3. Launch the Configuration Manager utility by doing the following:
❑ For UNIX, run the conf script.
❑ For Windows, run the conf.bat file.
On Windows 10, Windows 2012 Server, or later versions that have User Account
Control enabled, you must launch Allegro EDM Configuration Manager using one of
the following ways even if you are a local administrator:
a. Open an Elevated Windows Command Prompt.
b. Right-click the <installation_directory>\conf\conf.bat file in the

Explorer window and choose Run as Administrator.

The Allegro EDM Configuration Manager window appears.

Configuring Sites in the Pulse-Allegro EDM Environment

Depending on your requirements, you can define multiple organizations and multiple sites
within an organizations. This information is saved in the <adw_conf_root>\here.tcl file
and is defined by the ATDM_SITE variable in this file.
Local site administrators can designate their sites as the default so that all the configuration
changes they make apply to their sites only. For example, a company could have three sites:
delhi, boston, and denver. The master site is boston. The default site is delhi. See
Defining a Default Site or Modifying the Master Site
Important
Remember the following if you decide to have multiple companies or sites:
❑ Even though multiple companies can exist in an <ADW_CONF_ROOT>, only one of
them can be active at a time.
❑ There can be only one master site within <ADW_CONF_ROOT>.
❑ A company can have a master site and a default site.
❑ The same site can be the master as well as the default site.
❑ The master and default sites must both be under the same company folder.
Adding a Site to the Pulse-Allegro EDM Environment

To add a site and specify details, do the following:
Manager.
2. Select Allegro EDM Conf Root and right-click.

3. Choose Create Company, specify a name for the new company, and click OK.
4. You can specify sites for the new company by right-clicking on the company name and
selecting Create Site.

The new site is added.
You can rename or delete an existing company or site by right-clicking the company
or site name. Choose Rename or Delete depending on what you want to do.
If you chose Delete, the company and all its sites and related configuration files are
deleted.
Important
You cannot delete a company that contains the master or default site. Should you
need to do that, assign a site in another company as the master or default. This will
make that company the master site. Then delete the earlier company.
Defining a Default Site or Modifying the Master Site

Default site is an attribute that indicates an active client site when a company has multiple
sites in Allegro EDM Conf Root.
Depending on your requirements and the Allegro EDM installation, you can have multiple
sites within a company. Local site administrators can designate their sites as the default so
that all the configuration changes they make apply to their sites only. You can set the default
site using Allegro EDM Configuration Manager. This information is saved in the
<adw_conf_root>\here.tcl file and is defined by the ATDM_SITE variable in this file.
For example, a company could have:

■ Three sites: delhi, boston, and denver.

■ The master site is boston.
■ The default site is delhi.
Editing Site-Specific Configuration Parameters

The Workbench Configuration File (workbench.ini) file contains the configuration
parameters for accessing the component database and reference library. The file is specific
to a company and site.
To edit the workbench configuration file for a site, do the following:

Manager.
2. In the Set up or Manage Company & Site tab, click the site name in the tree in the left
panel.

The workbench.ini is displayed with the Allegro EDM Component Database and
reference-library-specific information (specific to the selected company and site).
3. Make the required changes in this configuration file. For each site in the company, specify
the following information for every site you have configured:
❑ Type of database
❍ Allegro EDM Server
This is the default value for all Allegro EDM installations.
❍ No Database
This is used for Allegro EDM Flow Manager only installations, in which you use
the board_ref type of project workspace that functions in the non-cache
enabled mode.

❑ URL for the Pulse master node.
Caution
The site-level workbench.ini file also contains the Master Library
Server URL under the adwadmin_properties and adwmetrics_properties
sections that are internally used by Allegro EDM. You should not modify
these unless advised by Cadence Customer Support or Services.
❑ One or more designer server URLs separated by semicolons. The complete URL
must include the port number. For example: http://myserver:7100;http://
myserver:7200
In the Designer Server URL field, you can also specify a variable
$env(<variable_name>), where <variable_name> is a predefined
environment variable. For example: The value of Designer Server URL is
$env(my_designers) where my_designers is a predefined environment
variable and its value is set to: http://myserver:7100;http://
myserver:7200
❑ Library Administrator ID and password to connect to the component database.
For Allegro EDM utilities that require login information, login credentials can be
maintained in workbench.ini or in an encrypted form on the disk by using the -
login option.
For example, if you do not specify credentials in workbench.ini and use the -
login option to log into adwschema, Allegro EDM saves the information in
encrypted form on the disk and uses it the next time you log into adwschema. When
logging into Allegro EDM utilities that require login information, Allegro EDM first
checks for the encrypted information. If it is not available, it fetches user credentials
from workbench.ini.
Note: This is no longer mandatory. If not specified, the librarians will be prompted
for these details when they launch any application that accesses the component
database.
❑ Location of the Allegro EDM Reference Library as specified during server setup.
<PCBDW_LIB> is created at this location for the site.

4. Click Save.
Enabling Cadence-Supplied Flows for Your Environment
Because designers and librarians have different objectives and tasks, Allegro EDM provides
various out-of-the-box PCB flows, such as for board designs, reference designs, high-speed
schematic designs, library development, library import, library distribution. See
Understanding Design and Library Workflows for details on design and library flows.
As an administrator, you can enable the flows you want your designers to have access to (for
Design Entry HDL) or librarians to have access to.
To enable the required Cadence-supplied flow files for your environment, do the following:
1. Launch Allegro EDM Configuration Manager.
The Set up or Manage Company & Site tab displays the workbench.ini file.
3. On the left tree panel, choose Allegro EDM Conf Root – <company> – <site> –
Project Workspace Configuration – Built-in Workspaces.

4. Choose the required workspace templates by selecting the corresponding check box.
5. Click Save.
Comparing Two Sites Within a Company
If you have two sites configured for a company, Configuration Manager allows you to compare
them.
To compare two sites, do the following:


3. Press the CTRL key to select both the sites together.

4. Right-click any one of the sites and choose Compare Sites.
The Comparison Results tab appears on the right panel showing the files that differ.
Controlling the PCB Editor Environment in Allegro EDM

The Cadence Allegro family of tools, including Allegro PCB Editor, relies on external
environment files (with .env extension) for many of the settings that control the behavior of
these tools.
Environment files specify the paths to the libraries that will be searched when any of the
Cadence Allegro tools need to find design elements such as padstacks and footprint symbols.
Environment files establish the search path for many Allegro PCB Editor design objects, such
as padstacks, footprints, script files, SKILL program files, and library verification rules. Allegro
PCB Editor needs these settings so that it knows where to look for these objects to load when
placing components on a board.
The environment files contain such settings as:

■ Search paths so that PCB Editor can find external design objects, such as padstacks and
footprints
■ Environment variable settings used by PCB Editor to control the appearance and
behavior of PCB Editor. Examples include automatic save functions, plotting, and file
versioning.
■ Keyboard shortcuts
■ Aliases
■ References to other environment files that should be read
Using the PCB Editor Environment File

There is a master environment file located in the PCB Editor installation directory:
$allegro_install_root\share\pcb\text.
Allegro PCB Editor looks for the environment file in this location whenever PCB Editor is
launched. If the file is not found, generates an error message. This file provides basic settings
that should not be changed.

Note: You should not change this file because future Cadence patches or upgrades overwrite
this file.
Customizations to the Allegro PCB Editor paths and settings (using the environment files)
should be done so that the library search paths to be shared among an engineering team are
set in the $CDS_SITE/site.env file, and settings such as shortcuts, aliases, which are
personal preferences, are set in the $HOME/pcbenv/env file.
Note: The environment file is modified when you use the settings editor within the Allegro
PCB Editor tool. For detailed information regarding the content and syntax of the environment
files, see Allegro PCB and Package User Guide.
How Allegro EDM Controls Environment Files

When Allegro EDM launches the Allegro PCB Editor layout tools such as PCB Editor, Allegro
EDM controls the environment that the layout engineer uses during the design session
through the use of these environment files.
By controlling the environment file at startup, especially by controlling the search paths,
Allegro EDM ensures that all engineers get their footprints from the same authorized library.
By ensuring consistency in the environment files, Allegro EDM ensures that each layout
designer uses library elements from the same library, using the same scripts, and the same
SKILL programs.
Control of the Allegro PCB Editor environment files by Allegro EDM provides two benefits:
■ Environment variables critical to the design process must be able to be locked by a CAD
manager so that designers benefit from consistent and reliable library use.
■ Settings that are personal to a designer (and are not critical to the process) must be
allowed and preserved. Most designers use shortcuts and aliases that enhance their
productivity. These need to be preserved.
To provide a consistent, error-resistant environment to the layout designers, Allegro EDM can
enforce control over the critical environmental variable settings. The system administrator or
CAD manager determines which of the environment variables are critical, but will most likely
include all library path environment variables. These library paths control access to library
elements such as footprints and padstacks. These settings should not be changed by the
user. They must remain under the control of the system administrator or CAD manager.
In Allegro EDM, the system administrator has the authority to establish and lock settings.
These settings are established in the site.env file (and related files) and are available in
the read-only mode.

Managing PCB Editor Environment Files

PCB Editor environment files are managed as follows:
■ Step 1 - Determining Types of Environment Settings Required
■ Step 2 - Creating Allegro PCB Editor Environment File
■ Step 3 - Locking Critical Environment Settings
■ Step 4 - Correctly Naming Allegro PCB Editor Environment Files
■ Step 5 - Putting Allegro Environment Files in the Right Location
■ Step 6 - Identifying Project Types to Use Environment Settings
Step 1 - Determining Types of Environment Settings Required
This involves deciding how many different sets of library paths are required to control your
Allegro layout tools. Allegro EDM can support an unlimited number of environment files, so
you can create as many as you wish. Usually, you need at least three environment files, with
one each to control the library paths for the following:
■ Board flows
■ Library flows
■ Padstack editing within the library flow
Step 2 - Creating Allegro PCB Editor Environment File
This step involves creating an environment file that defines library path settings for each of
your PCB flows. You can set up the paths for all of your Allegro PCB Editor physical libraries
in this file. You can also determine other settings to include so that they can be shared among
your layout team. You may share aliases, shortcuts, and so on and so forth. A typical Allegro
environment file has the following settings:
set PSMPATH = . $PAST/pad_shape \
$JEDECS/mechanical $JEDECS/format \
$JEDECS/footprints $PAST/pad_flash

Step 3 - Locking Critical Environment Settings
As a system administrator, you can decide settings and paths to lock. Locking an environment
variable prevents a user from changing the variable during an Allegro layout session. As an
example, you should consider locking the library search paths for footprints and padstacks.
This will ensure that the designers will only be able to use footprints and padstacks from
authorized libraries. You can lock the critical settings by using the readonly command, as
shown in the example:
set PSMPATH = . $PAST/pad_shape \
$JEDECS/mechanical $JEDECS/format \
$JEDECS/footprints $PAST/pad_flash
readonly PSMPATH
Note: By setting the variable (psmpath in the above example) to read only, you can prevent
designers from changing that variable during the Allegro PCB Editor session.
Step 4 - Correctly Naming Allegro PCB Editor Environment Files
For Allegro EDM to use various environment files, you need to adhere to the following naming
convention:
ADW_<unique_flow_name>.env
Where unique_flow_name is any name you give to a particular set of Allegro environment
variables. By default, you have three flow names: board, library and
library_padstack.
Note: This unique_flow_name matches a setting in each project. That is how Allegro EDM
Flow Manager determines which environment file to use.
Step 5 - Putting Allegro Environment Files in the Right Location
Once you have created an environment file for each flow type, copy these files into
$adw_conf_root/<company>/<site>/pcb. There are four preexisting default
environment files in the installation directory (only if you have a fresh installation of
adw_conf_root). If you do not have these files present:
a. Save your adw_conf_root under a new name.
b. Install a fresh adw_conf_root.

c. Copy the pcb folder from the newly installed adw_conf_root into your saved
adw_conf_root.
d. Restore your renamed adw_conf_root.
Step 6 - Identifying Project Types to Use Environment Settings

Note: This is automatically done for newly created custom workspaces. The tasks described
in this section are needed only for custom workspaces created in older releases.
This step involves identifying the environment file to use for each of your projects. To do this,
set the pcb_flow_type property in the Allegro EDM workspaces.
1. Browse a workspace and locate the atdm.ini file.
For example,
<adw_conf_root>\<company>\<site>\cdssetup\pcbdw\workspaces\cu
stomflow_ws\15.5\archindep\customflow\method\local\atdmdir
2. Edit the atdm.ini file as follows:
[design_global]
design_type = board
gui_type = board
pcb_flow_type = board
design_name = @project@
design_author = @di_author@
design_manager = @di_manager@
project_ppl = @di_ppl@
project_name = @contract@
company_name = $env(ATDM_COMPANY)
site_name = $env(ATDM_SITE)
reuse_module =
3. Perform this for each of your workspaces.
Note: Once you have modified each of your workspaces in this manner, each project created
from your workspace will have this setting.

How Allegro EDM Uses Environment Files

When Allegro EDM is installed, it creates the adw_conf_root directory that contains
company and site specific subfolders. The site-specific subfolder already contains a
cdssetup folder.
Allegro EDM also installs the

<installation_directory>\adw_conf_root\@company_name@\@site_name@
\pcb folder.
This pcb folder initially contains the following files:

■ site.env
■ ADW_board.env
■ ADW_library.env
■ ADW_library_padstack.env
Note: The pcb folder is generated only when the adw_conf_root directory is created
during installation.
The site.env file may source one of the many environment files, depending upon whether
the current project is a library project or a design project. For example, the site.env can
contain:
ifvar ADW_PCB_FLOW_TYPE "source $CDS_SITE/pcb/

ADW_${ADW_PCB_FLOW_TYPE}.env"
ifnvar ADW_PCB_FLOW_TYPE "source $CDS_SITE/pcb/ADW_board.env"

Note: The system environment variable, ADW_PCB_FLOW_TYPE, is set by the Allegro EDM
Flow Manager based on project settings. Whenever you open a project, the Flow Manager
reads the atdm.ini file, locates the pcb_flow_type setting and sets it as the
ADW_PCB_FLOW_TYPE environment variable.
Handling Manufacturing Retargetability

To support retargetability, many sites may use parallel libraries of footprints and padstacks
designed for different technologies. Switching between these libraries can be controlled by
redirecting the psm and padpath to new settings.

There are significant library management issues associated with maintaining parallel
libraries. However, if you have parallel libraries in your setup, Allegro EDM can be modified to
support the use of these libraries.
For example, you have two parallel footprint libraries – one for standard rules and another for
highspeed rules - and these libraries are located in the following directories:
■ /sharedLocation/Cadence/Libraries/footprint_models/standard
■ /sharedLocation/Cadence/Libraries/footprint_models/highspeed
To manage them, do the following:

1. Create an environment file for the two design types:
❑ <adw_conf_root>\<company>\<site>\pcb\ADW_standard.env: This will
contain a line similar to the following:
set PSMPATH = . /sharedLocation/Cadence/Libraries/
footprint_models/standard
readonly PSMPATH
❑ <adw_conf_root>\<company>\<site>\pcb\ADW_highspeed.env: This will
contain a line similar to the following:
set PSMPATH = . /sharedLocation/Cadence/Libraries/
footprint_models/highspeed
readonly PSMPATH
2. Modify your workspaces to add the pcb_flow_type entry in the atdm.ini file.
Note: If you do not have customized workspaces, run the createflow command to
create a workspace. When you create projects using the default templates of Allegro
EDM, Allegro EDM automatically adds the path to the library in the project file. If you use
the createflow option to create a project template or workspace, ensure that you have
the ref_cds_lib directive in the project CPM file. The value of this directive is the path
to the library.
a. For standard designs, find the atdm.ini file in the location:

<installation_directory>\share\cdssetup\pcbdw\workspaces\b
oard_ws\15.5\archindep\board\method\local\atdmdir
b. Add pcb_flow_type=standard to the [design_global] section.
c. For your highspeed designs, find the atdm.ini file in the location:

<installation_directory>\share\cdssetup\pcbdw\workspaces\h
ighspeed_ws\15.5\archindep\highspeed\method\local\atdmdir
d. Add pcb_flow_type=highspeed to the [design_global] section.

3. Launch the Allegro EDM Flow Manager and create a new project using each of those
workspaces.
❑ When you launch PCB Editor in a highspeed project, you will access the
ADW_highspeed.env file rules.
❑ When you launch PCB Editor in a standard project, you will use the
ADW_standard.env file rules.
Note: Because the library flow launches tools for editing footprints as well as padstacks, two
separate environment files are needed. For this reason, if you create
ADW_standard_library.env, you must also create a file called
ADW_standard_library_padstacks.env. The ADW_standard_library.env file is
used for footprint editing, while the ADW_standard_library_padstacks.env will be
used for padstack editing.
Important
Configuration Manager does not control environment settings but allows you to
make changes to these files for the sites.


7
Supporting Multiple Releases with Multi-
Library Release (MLR) Configuration
As an existing Allegro EDM 17.2 customer, it might not always be possible or practical to
move all the designers across all your organization’s divisions and sites to the Pulse
environment in 17.4. As a workaround, you can use the Multiple Library Revision (MLR)
functionality, which helps you move site by site to the new release.
The primary challenge when moving to a new release are the part libraries that are common
for all the divisions or sites. Once migrated to a new release, libraries might not work with
older releases. As a result, it is recommended that you continue to author, develop, and
manage libraries in the lowest release (in this case, 17.2) until all the design sites move to the
latest release (in this case, 17.4).
Cadence recommends that you keep all the Pulse data nodes in the same release as the
Pulse master node.
Note: This is particularly important for Allegro System Capture because the design vault is
in the Pulse master node. If you are a DE-HDL only customer, you can have different data

Supporting Multiple Releases with Multi-Library Release (MLR) Configuration
nodes in different versions and use a release-independent Part Information Manager. See the
chapter on working across releases in Part Information Manager User Guide for details.
Multi-Site Environment with MLR in Allegro EDM and Allegro Pulse
Note: A Pulse master node uses a library server license. If you do not set the MLR option
during the Pulse master node setup, the 17.4 Pulse master node will start in maintenance
mode because the library server license is already being used by the 17.2 Master Library
Server. Enabling MLR and restarting the master node will ensure that the Pulse master node
runs. See Defining Library Management Settings for Pulse Master Node.
Also note that unless a remote URL is set, a node functions as the Pulse master node. See
Converting a Pulse Master Node to a Pulse Data Node.
Because the library server license is used by the Pulse master node or 17.2 Master Library
server, 17.4 Pulse data nodes (for example, DEMO_DATA_NODE) will go into maintenance
mode.
In the DEMO_DATA_NODE machine, you can specify the remote URL of the Pulse master
node. This will make DEMO_DATA_NODE a data node.
Restart the Pulse data node (DEMO_DATA_NODE) to ensure that it is no longer functions as a
master node.

Configuring Multi-Library Release (MLR) Environment

Before you start configuring the MLR environment, be aware that the following Pulse-Allegro
System Capture integration features—in-design workflows and part requests—are not
supported in Pulse running in an MLR environment or in a site-specific configuration. It is
recommended that you do not use these features in these (MLR or site-specific)
configurations to avoid possible data issues.
Whenever you migrate an existing MLR environment between a Master Library Server (Pulse
master node) and a Designer Server (Pulse data node) from an older release to a newer one,
do the following:
1. Set up the MLR-enabled Pulse master node. See Defining Library Management Settings
for Pulse Master Node.
This will ensure that this MLR-enabled Pulse master node does not use a library license
when you run the 17.4 Pulse master node. And, the library development and
management related utilities (Database Editor, Database Administration, and so on) will
not be allowed to run in the 17.4 Pulse master node; they will only run in the 17.2 Master
Library server.
In the MLR environment, data from the library server of a lower release is distributed to
clients in a higher release using the lib_dist utility.
2. To automatically distribute parts from the library server from a lower release to a higher
release, do the following:
a. Navigate to the Allegro EDM Conf root directory and launch the EDM startup script.
Allegro EDM Flow Manager is displayed.

b. Click Utilities — Open Allegro EDM System Console.
c. In the console window, type conf.

Allegro EDM Configuration Manager is displayed.
d. Click Set up or Manager Company & Site.

e. Set adwserver_install=on in the lib_dist.ini file.
Running lib_dist_client with this setting ensures that:

❍ The library server from a lower release is upreved before being installed in the
higher release.
❍ Models from the lower release are upreved while populating the reflib folder
of the higher release.
f. Ensure one of the following:

❍ That the MLR_PCBDW_LIB variable in the <PCBDW_LIB>/distribution/
env/fetch_dump.ini file is set to the <PCBDW_LIB> of the Pulse/Allegro
EDM master node/server. This must be a mapped drive.
This is required because the Pulse data node reads the MLR_PCBDW_LIB
variable (which points to the Pulse master node) after which the library
distribution process creates the library in the Pulse data node.

❍ If the Pulse data node points to the 17.4 Pulse master node, ensure that
fetch_dump.ini points to the same 17.4 Pulse master node. This is needed
so models are fetched from the correct Pulse master node. See
Modify this value and

point it to the 17.4 Pulse
master node.
To update fetch_dump.ini, run Allegro EDM Configuration Manager.

Also update the [adwserver] section of the lib_dist.ini file. Modify the
Site Value to on.
3. Run lib_dist_client at the 17.4 Pulse data node machines to update the parts
library.
Running lib_dist_client for the first time after the Pulse data node upgrade can take
some time as the complete library data will be installed.
Moving Library Development and Management to 17.4

Once all the designers in your organization move to the latest release (for example, 17.4), as
a librarian/library department, you no longer needs to maintain libraries for multiple releases.
To move library development and management to 17.4, do the following:

1. Stop Library Distribution from the 17.2 Master Library Server to the MLR-enabled 17.4
Pulse master node.
2. Disable MLR on the 17.4 master node.
3. Run adw_uprev on 17.4 master node.

4. Configure all the Pulse data nodes to run lib_dist client from the Pulse master
node. For this, you might also want to reset any schedulers/Cron jobs with or without any
existing pre/post scripts.
5. Edit the existing lib_dist.ini and fetch_dump.ini for the Pulse/Allegro EDM
master node/library server.
After you move library development and authoring to 17.4, your setup will look as follows:

A
Allegro EDM Configuration Manager User
Interface
This chapter details the interface components of Allegro EDM Configuration Manager.
■ Menu
■ Welcome Screen
■ Set up or Manage Company & Site
❑ Context Menu
❑ Command Buttons
■ Set up Client
Important
In the Allegro EDM Configuration Manager dialog boxes, exclamation signs indicate
mandatory fields. Once you specify a value for a field, the exclamation sign next to
it is removed.

Allegro EDM Configuration Manager User Interface
Menu
The menu has the following options:
Table A-1 Configuration Manager Menu Bar
Menu Option Description

File Exit Prompts you to save all changes
and then closes the Configuration
Manager.
Client Set up or Manage Company Launches the Allegro EDM Conf
& Site Root Directory wizard if you have
not created the root directory, else
it displays the site-level
workbench.ini file.
Set up Client Opens a dialog box where you are
prompted for the information
required for a client to connect to
an Allegro EDM server. This
information gets written to the
<startworkbench> file.
Help Documentation Opens the Allegro EDM
documentation landing page.
Web Resources Lists Cadence links where
additional information can be
found.
About Shows the version of the Allegro
EDM software you are using.
Welcome Screen
Option Description

Set up and Manage Company & Launches the Allegro EDM Conf Root Directory wizard if
Site you have not created Allegro EDM Conf Root, else it
displays the site-level workbench.ini file for an
existing Allegro EDM Conf Root.
Set up Client Opens a dialog box where you are prompted for the
information required for a client to connect to an Allegro
EDM server. This information gets written to the
<startworkbench> file.
Set up or Manage Company & Site

Allegro EDM Configuration Manager checks if the location you provided has an existing
Allegro EDM Conf Root or not.
❑ If there is a previously defined company and its site(s), the wizard closes and the
Allegro EDM Conf Root is loaded in the Set up or Manage Company & Site tab.
❑ If no Allegro EDM Conf Root is found, the wizard prompts you for company and site
details and then Allegro EDM Conf Root is loaded.
Specify the company and site as the master, if applicable.

■ If this is the first time you are performing this task, you should select the master company
and site.
■ You can set the master site and company later on also, or if needed, modify the values
you set now.
Manage Company and Site

The Set up or Manage Company & Site displays the:
■ The Allegro EDM Conf Root structure, with all the companies and sites under it
■ Master site
■ Default site
■ workbench.ini file, specifying:
❑ Type of database
❍ Allegro EDM Server: This is the default value for all Allegro EDM installations.

❍ No Database: This is used for Allegro EDM Flow Manager only installations, in
which you use the board_ref type of project workspace that functions in non-
cache enabled mode.
❑ URL for Master Library Server.
❑ One or more designer server URL(s) separated by semicolons. The complete URL
must include the port number. For example: http://myserver:7100;http://
myserver:7200
Note: In the Designer Server URL field, you can also specify a variable
$env(<variable_name>), where <variable_name> is a predefined
environment variable.
For example:
Value of Designer Server URL is $env(my_designers),
where my_designers is a predefined environment variable and its value is set
to: http://myserver:7100;http://myserver:7200
❑ Library Administrator ID and password to connect to the component database.
❑ Location of the Allegro EDM Reference Library
The <PCBDW_LIB> is created at this location for the site.
■ The tree in the left panel can be expanded to view and change configuration information:
❑ The applications configured for each site
❑ The tools configuration (tools.ini)
❑ Library distribution configuration
❑ Project workspace configuration
❑ Tool configuration
The following figure shows you an expanded list. The files are grouped logically and
you can expand and modify if required for your site. To know about each of the
entries, read the tooltip displayed.
Context Menu
The context menu is available at the Allegro EDM Conf Root, company, and site levels. The
various menu options are self-explanatory:
■ Create company

■ Reload
■ Create Site
■ Cut
■ Copy
■ Paste
■ Rename
■ Delete
■ Set as Master Site
■ Set as Default Site
Command Buttons
Option Descriptions
Save Updates the configuration files with the changes you made
Save to all sites Replicates the changes to all the sites in the company
Reset Resets the values in the configuration files to the older saved
versions

Set up Client
Specify values for the fields in the <startworkbench> file:
❑ Allegro EDM Home
❑ Allegro EDM Conf Root
❑ Allegro EDM Projects Home
❑ Library Directory
❑ CDS Root
❑ MS Office Home
❑ Office Viewers Home
❑ Acrobat Home
❑ Internet Explorer Home
❑ Wordpad Home

B
Allegro EDM Utilities
This section lists the Allegro EDM utilities that are called from Allegro EDM Flow Manager.
Some of these can also be invoked from Allegro EDM System Console.
vista startservice
Starts the Allegro EDM Server.
vista stopservice
Stops the Allegro EDM Server.
cksyn
Used internally for synonym checks from design and highspeed flows. It can be used
directly for these flows only.
create_sch
Used only for library projects and is used in library flow. This utility generates a schematic
for the checked out cell model by first generating a cpm file and then it creates a view
tst_sch_1.
createflow
Creates new customized flows. This creates a new project template and a new flow file.
These flow files and template files are then edited to meet specific needs.
dbadmin
Launches the Database Administrator tool.
design_init
Launches the Project Creation Wizard. This allows you to create a new project from the
given project templates.
design_init_update
Updates the project files of the active project.

diag_check
This utility launches the standard checkplus tool for design verification. From the license
dialog box, when you select the appropriate license, the standard checkplus GUI
appears.
diffnet
Used with design projects only. Compares and generates a report on differences
between two netlists generated by mknet.
diffnet_ui
Compares reference and new netlist. Launches the Diffnet wizard where the reference
and new netlists are specified.
dispenv
Displays the complete set of environment variables used in Allegro EDM environment.
editconfig
Launches the editconfig wizard. Has different modes to edit the configuration files.
find_project
Displays the current/active project with complete path.
genmodelhtml
Creates an HTML file corresponding to each model type. Takes each model-type and
retrieves model data for it.
getexetoolspath
Displays the complete path to exe_tools that are being used in that session.
getlang
This utility displays the language that the tool version is using. The output of this
command is en_US.
install_dump
Updates the database with the data that has been fetched from the master site (using
the fetch_dump utility) onto the client-site database server.
install_model
The models to install are available in archived form in the client site’s integration area.
This utility installs the models received on the client site specifically in the reflib folder of
the reference library structure.

launch_concepthdl
Should be run only after test schematic has been run. This should check if the test
schematic has been generated and project has been created.
❑ This utility will launch Design Entry HDL.
❑ This utility works only with a library project (with a model set to active).
libimport
Moves the legacy library data into Allegro EDM-compliant libraries.
library_diag_check
This utility is used to run some checkplus rules on current active model in the library flow.
library_verif
Launches the Library Design Verification utility, which is used to run a set of predefined
verification rules on the active schematic model.
mkdump
Exports the master site database.
mknet
Generates the netlist for the design.
adwdbcheck
The adwdbcheck utility checks the Allegro EDM Component Database for invalid and
erroneous library data. Such data can cause the database to become invalid or
unusable. You need to check the report generated by this utility to identify and analyze
all such errors to prevent any data loss or corruption.


C
About tools.ini
The tools.ini file contains the configuration parameters for accessing common tools, PCB
tools, and tools specific for a given project type. This file is available only at the site level.
The applications include:

■ TCL/TK
■ Java
■ Cadence tools
■ Database tools (Oracle)
■ Document editing and management tools:
❑ MS Office
❑ Wordpad
❑ MS Office Viewers
❑ Open Office
❑ Adobe Acrobat
■ Browsers
❑ Netscape
❑ Internet Explorer
For each application, the following information is stored:

■ windows/windowsnt.5
Path to the application executable file for Windows platforms except Vista
■ windows/windowsnt.6
Path to the application executable file for Windows Vista

About tools.ini
■ unix/linux
Path to the application executable file for Linux
■ path_extension
For Windows, additional folder names for this tool that are to be appended to system path
when starting Allegro EDM. Separated by semicolon.
■ dlib_path_extension
For UNIX platforms, additional folder names for this tool that are to be appended to
system path when starting Allegro EDM. Separated by colon.
■ Environment variables
❑ home_var
The primary environment variable to be set for this tool.
❑ Variables to be set for this specific tool. For example:
CHDL_LIB_INST_DIR=$env(CDSROOT)|CONCEPT_INST_DIR=$env(CDSROO
T)|PCBDW=TRUE
Multiple variables are separated by pipe (|) character.
Using startworkbench Variables in tools.ini

Instead of defining the site variables again for tools.ini, you can use the variables that
are specified in <startworkbench>. This saves the effort of specifying the same
variables again and eliminates any mismatches between the settings across files.
To use the variables set in <startworkbench>.bat, use the following syntax:

$env(<variable name in startworkbench.bat>)
For example:
$env(PCBDW_TCL_INST_DIR)
$env(PCBDW_JAVA_HOME)
$env(PCBDW_CDSROOT)
$env(CDS_LIC_FILE)
$env(PCBDW_ORA_INST_DIR)

D
Customizing Error Messages in Allegro
EDM
Allegro EDM displays messages for with error codes. You can override these messages or
add your own details to messages, if needed, using an entry in the site-level
messages.properties file. This entry contains an override flag, which can be different for
each error message depending on your requirement.
The adw_conf_root template has been updated to contain a sample

messages.properties file. Copy this file from
<installation_directory>\adw_conf_root\@company_name@\@site_name@
\messages to your site:
<adw_conf_root>\<company>\<site>\messages
This is a standard Java property file and follows the property file syntax. Customize this file
to add messages and configure their display. For example:
#message for client-server version mismatch
GENERIC-00261.override.install=true
GENERIC-00261.message=\n\nMessage from Site Administrator: The

Allegro EDM Hot fix installer can be downloaded from
\\\\server_name\\shared_folder.

Customizing Error Messages in Allegro EDM

E
Customizing Match Files for Archives of
Model Types
When you create a new model type in Database Administrator, Allegro EDM creates a match
file. The match file dictates what content is included when a library model is checked into
Allegro Library Manager.
The match file specifies the structure and behavior of archives of a model type during their
archival and extraction in various library flow processes.
You can customize the default match file based on your needs for Design Entry HDL and
Allegro System Capture.
Customizing a Match File

To edit an out-of-the-box match file, do the following:
3. On the left tree panel, choose Allegro EDM Conf Root – <company> – <site> – Tool
Configuration – Library Workbench – Match Files.
4. Choose the required match file.
The right panel displays the Reference File and the Editable File.
5. Review or edit the match file configuration.
6. Click Save.

Customizing Match Files for Archives of Model Types
Contents and Syntax of Match Files

This sections describes the contents, syntax, and usage of the match file.
Contents of Match Files
The match files contains the following sections:
Section name Description

UPREV This section is used to identify files in the archive
that need to be upreved when archives are being
upreved from one version to another. This section is
used only for backend models.
The install_model utility reads this section
when installing models in reflib while migrating to
a new release such as from 17.2 to 17.4.
CHECKSUM This section is used to identify files that are used to
generate checksum that is added in the .status
file.
This section is used by Database Editor and Library

Import while creating archives for new models.
ARCHIVE This section is used to identify files to be archived
when creating archives. During the archival
process, if any of the specified files is not available
in the source area, no error is generated.
This section is used by Database Editor and Library
Import while creating archives for new models.
INSTALL This section is used to identify files to be extracted
from an archive when you create reflib or when
you extract archives in flatlib for editing models.
This section is read by install_model in library
distribution for creating reflib and Database
Editor while revising models.


ARCHIVE_TIMESTAMP_SOURCE This section is used to identify files that need to be
checked to identify if a change is Major or Minor.
The specified files are checked against check-out
time of the model.
This section is used by Database Editor while
checking in a model to identify whether the change
is Major or Minor.
ARCHIVE_TIMESTAMP_DERIVED This section is used to specify any derived files such
as verification log files.
These specified files are then verified while creating
archives. This verification checks that the timestamp
of derived files is greater than modified model files.
This check has two advantages. It ensures that the:
■ Verification checks have been run after the
modification of the models
■ Derived files which form a part of the archive
have been modified after the modification of the
model files
checking in a model.
ARCHIVE_MUST_EXIST_FILES This section is used to specify files that must exist in
flatlib (where the model is edited) when creating
the archive.
This sections only checks that before creating any
archive the specified files exist. This does not mean
that all specified files will necessarily form part of
the archive. To add these files to archive, they must
be specified in the ARCHIVE section.
creating an archive for a model being checked in.


ARCHIVE_CLEANUP_FILES This section is used to specify files to be deleted
from work area after the archive is created. This is
helpful to clean up any temporary files from work
area to ensure these do not cause any problem for
other models being used in the same work area.
This section is used by Database Editor after
checking in a model to clear the work area.

Syntax and Usage of Match Files
The following figure displays the sections of match_files.allegro.flash.
Each section contains:

■ Section name
■ Blank space followed by component name(s) followed by the extension name of the
model type. You can use the actual extension names or wild cards to specify model
types:

❑ F ( $comp_name.pad )
❑ F ( $comp_name.* )
❑ F ( $comp_name/*.* )
Important
Ensure that there is a blank space after the starting bracket and before the closing
bracket.
For example, match_files.allegro.flash contains the following sections:
Section Description and Use

BEGIN UPREV The following files of the model type flash
will be upreved:
F ( $comp_name.dra )
■ <model_name>.dra
F ( $comp_name.fsm )
■ <model_name>.fsm
END UPREV
BEGIN CHECKSUM The following files of the model type flash
will be used to generate checksum:
END CHECKSUM
BEGIN ARCHIVE The following files of the model type flash
will be archived when creating archives:
F ( $comp_name.log.flash )
■ <model_name>.log.flash
F ( $comp_name.status )
■ <model_name>.status
END ARCHIVE

Section Description and Use

BEGIN INSTALL The following files of the model type flash
will be extracted from an archive:
F ( $comp_name.log.flash )
■ <model_name>.log.flash
F ( $comp_name.status )
■ <model_name>.status
END INSTALL
BEGIN ARCHIVE_TIMESTAMP_SOURCE The following files of the model type flash
will be checked for modification time while
F ( $comp_name.fsm ) checking in the model to identify if the
END change is Major or Minor:
BEGIN ARCHIVE_MUST_EXIST_FILES The following files of the model type flash
must exist in flatlib when creating the
F ( $comp_name.fsm ) archive:
END
BEGIN ARCHIVE_CLEANUP_FILES The following files of the model type flash
must be deleted from work area after the
F ( {$comp_name}_symchk.log ) archive is created:
F ( {$comp_name}_symchk.log,* ) ■ <model_name>_symchk.log
F ( {$comp_name}_symchk.mkr ) ■ <model_name>_symchk.log,*
END ■ <model_name>_symchk.mkr
Using Operators in Match Files

The following example shows how operators are used in match files:
sch_dir = F ( $comp_name/sch_* )
all_file = ( $sch_dir || /* )
tmp_file = ( ( $sch_dir || /*,[0-9] ) | ( $sch_dir || /*.lck ) | ( $sch_dir || /
*.old ) )
sch_file = ( $all_file - $tmp_file )
( ( $sch_file ) IF $sch_file )

The description of the various operators that are used in the match files are:
Operator
Operator Description and Example
Symbol
( OPEN_PAR Example:
( $sch_dir || /* )
) CLOSE_PAR Example:
( $sch_dir || /* )
-E EXIST Example:
-E ( $comp_name/metadata/revision.dat )
Checks for the existence of a file and returns name of file if it
exists.
F FILTER Example:
sch_dir = F ( $comp_name/sch_* )
Filters the files with the format sch_* for the object
<component_name>.
& AND Example:
sch_file = ( $all_file & $tmp_file )
Lists the files that are present in both $all_file and
$tmp_file.
| OR Example:
tmp_file = ( ( $sch_dir || /*,[0-9] ) | ( $sch_dir || /
*.lck ) | ( $sch_dir || /*.old ) )
tmp_file lists the files in <sch_dir> which end with numerals

0 to 9, with extension .lck, or with extension .old .
^ XOR Example:
sch_file = ( $all_file ^ $tmp_file )
Returns the list of files, which are present in $all_files but
not present in $tmp_file and vice versa.

Operator
Operator Description and Example
Symbol
- MINUS Example:
sch_file = ( $all_file - $tmp_file )
Returns the list of files, which are present in $all_file but not
present in $tmp_file.
= SET Example:
Sets the value returned from the expression to the all_file

variable.
IF IF Example:
( ( $sch_file ) IF $sch_file )
Checks for empty value.

IN IN Example:
sch_file = ( "module ddr3" IN $all_file )
Returns the list of files from $all_files that contain the
string module ddr3.
|| CONCAT Example:
all_file lists the files in <sch_directory>.


F
Developing Symbol Check Rules for
Footprint Verification
As a librarian, you can develop footprint authoring rules for inclusion in the symbol rules
checking utility, which part of footprint verification in the library flow.
Developing Custom Rules
Source Code
The source code for symbol rules is developed using the AXL-SKILL functions available in
Allegro PCB Editor. You can create multiple functions for developing the rules. There must be
one function that the rules check tool will call. The
<ADW_CONF_ROOT>\<company>\<site>\pcb_symbol_vfy\15.5\rule_check_
tables.il file calls the various functions.
Function Inputs
The following two variables are input to the rule set function call:
■ file_ptr
■ log_file
The file_ptr variable is used to send information to the markers file, and is read by the
markers file viewer. The log_file variable is the file pointer to the log file that is generated
during run time of the checks.
Function Returns
The rule function call must return a list of two elements. The first element is an integer of the
number of errors found during the rule check. The second list item is the number of warnings
found during the rule check.

Developing Symbol Check Rules for Footprint Verification
return(list(errors warnings))
Writing to symchk.mkr
The marker file, symchk.mkr contains message and location information for any element
found in the drawing that may be an error, warning, or message. There is a function that is to
be called to write to the marker file:
_PAC_report_errors(file_ptr error_type short_message long_message

object_kind object_name parent_name dwg_name)
Where:
■ file_ptr: This is the pointer to the output port for the markers file.
■ error_type: This indicates the type of message to be displayed. This is an integer type
element. Refer the global variables file, rule_check_globals.il.
■ short message: This is an ASCII string that provides a brief description of the issues
being reported. This is a single string entry.
■ long_message: This is an ASCII string that gives a detailed description of the issue
being reported. This is a single string entry.
■ object_kind: This is an ASCII string for the name of the element(s) type, that is,
“PIN” “TEXT”.
■ object_name: This is an ASCII string that denotes the XY location and class/subclass
description of the item. The string needs to be in the format:
“x.x:y.y=class/subclass”
Example:
“1.000:1.250=PACKAGE GEOMETRY/ASSEMBLY_TOP”
■ parent_name: This is an ASCII string that describes the element type and its XY
location. This must be in the format:
“item@(x.x y.y)”
Example:
“PIN@(3.450 4.623)”
■ drawing_name: This is to be an ASCII string, which describes the drawing or the
drawing element.

Example
Global variables defined:

TEST_CASE_ERROR = ERROR
TEST_CASE_SHORT = “Test element missing”
TEST_CASE_LONG = “Missing add test element at origin.\n Please
add.”
Function call would be:

_PAC_report_errors(file_ptr TEST_CASE_ERROR TEST_CASE_SHORT
TEST_CASE_LONG “TEXT” “0.00:0.00=PACKAGE_GEOMETRY/DISPLAY_TOP”
“CIRCLE@(0.00 0.00)” “test_symbol.dra”)
Writing to symchk.log
The log file can be written to using the standard fprintf functions available in SKILL. The
pointer variable to the output port for the log file is log_file. This pointer must be passed
into the function.
Example
Function Input/Output
defun(your_function(file_ptr log_file)
prog(()
code
return(list(errors warnings))
))
Installing Custom Rules in Symbol Rules Checking Utility
Including Rules in the Symbol Check Form
Open the rules_check_tables.il file. It is installed in your local SKILL directory where
the symbol check command files are stored.

This file is a function that returns a list of lists. The format of the list cannot be changed. The
first list level is the inclusion of all the lists, with the next level being the category or rules class
definition. The last level of lists is lists of paired values, the rule name, and the specific SKILL
function call for that rule.
List(
list( category1
list( rule_name1 skill_function1)
)
list( category2
)
list( category3
)
Category Example 1
list(
;; Added the origin and geometry rules check
list( "Orientation"
list( '("Origin Check" "check_origin(file_ptr)")
;;'("Orientation Check" "check_orientation(file_ptr)")
'("Orientation Check NEW" "check_orientation(file_ptr)")
)

Where:
■ Orientation is category 1.
■ Origin Check is the rule name.
■ check_origin is the SKILL function to which the file_ptr parameter is passed.
To delete a rule, either remove the entry or add ;; before it.
Similarly, you can add a new rule as shown: ("Orientation Check NEW"
"check_orientation(file_ptr)")
Category Example 2
list( "misc"
list( "Text Rotation" "check_text_rotation(file_ptr)")
list( "Print All Text" "print_out_all_text(file_ptr
log_file)")
)
Global Variables
Global variable for setting messages and error/checking type values should be made in the
rule_check_globals.il file. This is a central global variable value repository for all
checking functions. Formats can be observed in the file and may be copied or modified as
required.
Note:
■ Do not change the values for ERROR, WARNING and INFO definitions.
■ Do not remove or change the name of existing GLOBAL variable defined in this file. The
values may be changed, but do not change the variable name.
Saving Custom Rules

The SKILL program file created with the custom rules set should be saved in a directory that
users who require use of the rules have access to. The same location as the current rule set
and global file reside would be a good suggestion.

Initializing Custom Rules

allegro.ilinit is a file in the user pcbenv directory. This is a file that the Allegro tool
environment uses to locate SKILL program files. Edit this file, and add a line at the bottom of
the file using the load function call. A literal path may be required.
load(“my_test_program.il”)

G
Configuring Design and Schematic Model
Rules with Rules Checker
Rules Checker, also referred to as Checkplus, is a utility that lets librarians check for violations
of design and Schematic Model rules. The utility includes a set of default rules and design
checks. Design rules for example, could check for the proper placement of elements on the
drawing, consistency between the logic and body drawing, properties and property values,
unconnected elements, and so on.
The default rules provided by Cadence are available at:
<Cadence installation directory>/tools/checkplus_exp/concept/

rules
Each of the .rle files at this location is a compiled version of a file written in the Rules
Checker Rule Language. The source files of these compiled files have an .erl file extension
and are available at:
<Cadence installation directory>/tools/checkplus_exp/concept/

rules_source
Rules Checker also stores information and a short and long message about each rule
violation in help message files, which have a .h extension. If you want to customize these
messages, you will also need to copy the help message file to Allegro EDM Conf Root.
Customizing Default Rules Checker Rules for Library and

Design Flows
By default, custom rules are read from the <Cadence installation directory>
directory. If you want to customize a default rule for an Allegro EDM project, you need to
define the location to your Allegro EDM Conf Root so that Rules Checker can locate the
customized rule files in your site setup.

Configuring Design and Schematic Model Rules with Rules Checker
Configuring Allegro EDM Conf Root and Specifying Customized Rules

Location
To configure the Allegro EDM Conf Root and specify the location of the customized rules, do
the following:
1. Open the site.cpm file from
<ADW_CONF_ROOT>\<company>\<site>\cdssetup\projmgr.
2. In the START_CHECKPLUS section of the .cpm file, replace $CDS_SITE with
$ADW_CONF_ROOT/<company>/<site> in RULE_SEARCH_PATH and
INCLUDEPATH. By default, the custom_rules path is read from the <Cadence
installation directory> directory, so this step is needed to configure custom
rules.
rundir 'checkplus'
VIEW_LOGICAL 'cfg_package'
RULE_SEARCH_PATH '$ADW_CONF_ROOT/<company>/<site>/checkplus/
rules/' '$ADW_CONF_ROOT/<company>/<site>/checkplus/
custom_rules/rules' '$CDS_INST_DIR/tools/checkplus_exp/concept/
rules/' '$CDS_INST_DIR/tools/checkplus_exp/concept/custom_rules/
'
INCLUDEPATH '$ADW_CONF_ROOT/<company>/<site>/checkplus/
rules_include/' '$ADW_CONF_ROOT/<company>/<site>/checkplus/
custom_rules_include/' '$CDS_INST_DIR/tools/checkplus_exp/
concept' '$CDS_INST_DIR/tools/checkplus_exp/concept/templates'
END_CHECKPLUS
3. To be able to customize the source rule files (.erl), copy the .erl files from
<Cadence installation
directory>\tools\checkplus_exp\concept\rules_source\<rulefile_
to_be_changed>.erl to
<ADW_CONF_ROOT>\<company>\<site>\checkplus\custom_rules_sourc
e
4. If you want to customize the .h, and .rle files, do the following:
a. Copy the .h file from:

directory>\tools\checkplus_exp\concept\rules_include/
<rule_group_file_to_be_changed>.h

to:
<ADW_CONF_ROOT>\<company>\<site>\checkplus\custom_rules_in
clude
b. Copy the .rle file from:

directory>\tools\checkplus_exp\concept\rules\<compiled_rule_
file>.rle
to:
<ADW_CONF_ROOT>\<company>\<site>\checkplus\custom_rules\ru
les
Modifying Parameters in Library and Design Flow Rules

1. Complete the steps in the Configuring Allegro EDM Conf Root and Specifying
Customized Rules Location section.
2. Edit the required rule parameter files, <rule_group>.h, at
<ADW_CONF_ROOT>\<company>\<site>\checkplus\custom_rules_inclu
de.
For example, if you want to modify the body_exceeds_max_size rule, you will find it
in the body_drawing_checks rule group. So, copy body_drawing_checks.h to:
<ADW_CONF_ROOT>\<company>/
<site>\checkplus\custom_rules_include.
Search for body_exceeds_max_size and modify the required parameter values:
PARAM MAX_SPECIFIED_HEIGHT 2000
PARAM MAX_SPECIFIED_WIDTH 2000
3. Save this parameter file.
4. Launch Allegro EDM Configuration Manager and click Set up or Manage Company &
Site.

❑ If you modified the body_exceeds_max_size rule for a library flow, navigate to

Allegro EDM Conf Root – <company> – <site> – Tool Configuration – Library
Workbench – Schematic Model Verification – library_verification.ini.

❑ If you modified the body_exceeds_max_size rule for a design flow, navigate to

Allegro EDM Conf Root – <company> – <site> – Tool Configuration – Logical
Design – Schematic Design Verification – verif.ini.
6. Click the Save button on the right panel.

7. Open one of the following and make changes:
❑ If you modified the body_exceeds_max_size rule for a library flow, open
<ADW_CONF_ROOT>\<company>\<site>\library_verification\15.5
\library_verification.ini.
❑ If you modified the body_exceeds_max_size rule for a design flow, open
<ADW_CONF_ROOT>\<company>\<site>\verification\15.5\verif.i
ni.
8. Do the following:
Double-click in the Site Value column, and add the path to the default rule that you
modified, and which is now, as a result, a custom rule:
[ckp_rules_location_prefix]

myrules = $ADW_CONF_ROOT/<company>/<site>/checkplus/
custom_rules
Add the modified default rule, that is, the custom rule:
[ckprle_precompiled_body]
myrules.body_drawing_checks = on
9. Launch Flow Manager and run Rules Checker. The new rule will be loaded and executed.
Modifying Severity Level in Library and Design Flow Rules

Every rule included with Rules Checker has a default severity level (Fatal, Error,
Warning, Oversight, or Info). The severity is defined in the <rulefilename>.h file.
You can only modify the severity level for custom rules; you cannot define a new severity level.
Rules Checker stops checking when it encounters a fatal error.
To modify the severity level of a rule for a library or design flow, do the following:
1. First, complete the steps defined in the Configuring Allegro EDM Conf Root and
Specifying Customized Rules Location section.
2. Modify cp_config.h located at
de.
❑ For example, the invalid_part_name rule is in the
body_cross_view_checks.h rule group. If you need to modify the severity of this
rule, you need to remove the existing text in cp_config.h and add the following
entries:
STARTENV Body
STARTRULE invalid_part_name
SEVERITY BODY_INVALID_PART_NAME_SEVERITY
Warning
ENDRULE
ENDENV
❑ For example, if you need to modify the severity of the cap_check rule, which is in
the rule group called electrical_checks.h, you need to remove the existing text
in cp_config.h and add the following entries:

STARTENV Logical
STARTRULE cap_check
SEVERITY CAP_CHECK_SEVERITY Error
ENDRULE
ENDENV
3. Save the cp_config.h parameter file.
4. Launch Configuration Manager and click Set up or Manage Company & Site.
❑ If you modified invalid_part_name, navigate to Allegro EDM Conf Root –
<company> – <site> – Tool Configuration – Library Workbench – Schematic
Model Verification – library_verification.ini.
❑ If you modified cap_check, navigate to Allegro EDM Conf Root – <company>
– <site> – Tool Configuration – Logical Design – Schematic Design
Verification – verif.ini.
❑ Open
❑ Open
ni.
add the path to the default rule that you modified, and which is, as a result, a custom rule:
custom_rules
myrules.body_cross_view_checks = on

Modifying Library and Design Flow Rules by Removing a Rule from a Rule
Set
If you want to remove a rule from a rule set, do the following:
1. First, complete the steps defined in the Configuring Allegro EDM Conf Root and
Specifying Customized Rules Location section.
2. You can now delete the required rule from a rule set by either:
❑ modifying the source rule (.erl) in a text editor. See Modifying Source Rules in a
Text Editor.
❑ launching Rules Checker from Flow Manager and modifying the rules
Modifying Source Rules in a Text Editor

1. Delete the text for the rule you want to remove from a particular rule set. For example,
remove the physical_to_body_check rule, which is part of the
body_cross_view_checks rule set.
To remove the rule, open the following in a text editor:
<ADW_CONF_ROOT>\<company>/
<site>\checkplus\custom_rules_include\body_cross_view_checks.er
l
Remove the physical_to_body_check rule. To remove it, delete the entire rule
starting from the rule name to highlighted object, as illustrated:
/**********************************************************************************
RULE NAME : physical_to_body_check
SYNOPSIS :
Check that the each pin name in packaging exists in body drawing
DESCRIPTION :
Check for the presence of PACK_TYPE property on the design
If no PACK_TYPE property is specified, perform checks on all packages in chips.prt
file
else perform checks on the package(s) corresponding to the PACK_TYPE in the design
foreach packaging
Get pinname(term) in package file
Get the pin number of these terms
Get the Sections in which these pin numbers fall
foreach Section

Get the Section pins

Get the Terms of the pins above
if number of terms got above is greater than number of pins on symbol
Pins in the chips.prt(extra) not matching with those on body, store
the difference in val_pin_mismatch
else if number of terms is lesser than those on body drawing
There is a mismatch in the pins in a section, i.e., no single section carries all the
body pins, store the difference in val_pin_mismatch
else if number of terms is equal to those on body drawing
(check by counting the elements of val_pin_mismatch, if NULL, then equal)
then exit out of loop (passed,no error)
endfor
Check for the count of sections of pins failing and the sections actually checked
If equal , proceed (i.e. None of the sections match with bodypins)
endfor
foreach package in a list of packages got from above,
Repeat all the steps above
Give out an error appended with val_pin_mismatch
endfor
DEFAULT MESSAGE SEVERITY : Error
DEFAULT_SHORT_ERROR_MESSAGE :
Pin name(s) not found in body/chips.prt
DEFAULT_LONG_ERROR_MESSAGE :
Body pin(s) do not a have a matching section in the packtype(s)
Package(s): <packaging>
Pin name not found in body/chips.prt
Pin Name : <pin name in chips_prt>
Body : <design-name>
HIGHLIGHTED OBJECT : physPackType
**********************************************************************************/
2. Save the body_cross_view_checks.erl source file.

3. Launch Allegro EDM Configuration Manager and click Set up or Manage Company &
Site.

❑ If you modified body_cross_view_checks.erl for a library flow, navigate to

Allegro EDM Conf Root – <company> – <site> – Tool Configuration – Library
Workbench – Schematic Model Verification – library_verification.ini.
❑ If you modified body_cross_view_checks.erl for a design flow, navigate to
Allegro EDM Conf Root – <company> – <site> – Tool Configuration – Logical
Design – Schematic Design Verification – verif.ini.
6. Open one of the following and make changes:
❑ If you modified body_cross_view_checks.erl for a library flow, open
❑ If you modified body_cross_view_checks.erl for a design flow, open
ni.
7. Do the following:
Double-click in the Site Value column, and add the path to the default rule that you
modified, and which is now, as a result, a custom rule:
custom_rules
myrules.body_cross_view_checks = on
Modifying Source Rules by Configuring Rules Checker in Flow Manager
To modify a rule using Rules Checker, you need checkplusui.exe. This executable file is
not part of the out-of-the-box library or design flow in Allegro EDM.
You can launch Rules Checker as a standalone utility or add a button for this executable file
in your library or design flow using Allegro EDM Flow Manager.
To customize any flow in Flow Manager, you must be defined as a flow administrator in the
flowmanager.properties file. The flowmanager.properties file is provided by

default in Allegro EDM Flow Manager. It is available at: <ADW_CONF_ROOT>/

<Company>/<Site>/cdssetup/projmgr/flows.
Typically, companies define an ECAD administrator as a flow administrator.
To define a user as a flow administrator, you must have write access to the
flowmanager.properties file. This permission is typically provided when Allegro EDM is
installed and configured. To define a user as a flow administrator, add the login ID of the user
you want to define as a flow administrator in the admin variable.
Typically, custom buttons for a particular flow are added to the Common Tools pane.

To add a button to the Common Tools pane, do the following:

1. Right-click on any existing icon in the Common Tools pane and choose Insert New.

A new button is added in the pane.
2. Right-click on the new button and choose Properties.

The Command edit dialog opens.
3. In Title, write a name for the button. For example, HDL Rule Checker/Compiler.
4. In Image Name, click the browse button and select an image file for the icon.
5. In the Exec section, specify the following command string: checkplusui.

6. Select the Use Project File check box to pass the -proj <your_project>.cpm
string to the command.
7. Specify the following commandline argument: -product <license name>. For
example:
-product PCB_Librarian_Expert
8. Click the newly created HDL Rule Checker/Compiler button.
The Allegro PCB Librarian XL: Rules Checker dialog opens.
For the purpose of this document, we will modify the body_cross_view_checks rule
set by deleting the physical_to_body_check rule from the rule set.
9. Select the Body Rules tab. You should see four rule sets:
❑ body_cross_view_checks.rle
❑ body_drawing_checks.rle
❑ body_pin_checks.rle

❑ body_property_checks.rle
10. There are five rules in this rule set.

❑ Invalid_part_name
❑ Body_to_physical_check
❑ Physical_to_body_check
❑ Body_to_logic_check

❑ Logic_to_body_check
11. Deselect the Physical_to_body_check check box.

12. Select Edit — Rules.

13. Browse to the body_cross_view_checks.erl source file in

e.
14. Click Compile.

A message that the rule was successfully compiled is displayed.
15. Move the new compiled rule, body_cross_view_checks.rle, from:

e
to
<ADW_CONF_ROOT>\<company>\<site>\checkplus\custom_rules
16. Exit Rules Checker and launch it again.
Creating a Rules Checker Rule

If you want to create a rule from scratch rather than modify an existing default rule and save
it, do the following:

1. Open the site.cpm file from

<ADW_CONF_ROOT>\<company>\<site>\cdssetup\projmgr.
2. Replace $CDS_SITE to $ADW_CONF_ROOT/<company>/<site> in both
RULE_SEARCH_PATH and INCLUDEPATH of the START_CHECKPLUS section. This step
is needed only to get the custom rules into checkplus running in the GUI mode.
START_CHECKPLUS
rundir 'checkplus'
VIEW_LOGICAL 'cfg_package'
RULE_SEARCH_PATH '$ADW_CONF_ROOT/<company>/<site>/checkplus/
rules/' '$ADW_CONF_ROOT/<company>/<site>/checkplus/
custom_rules/rules' '$CDS_INST_DIR/tools/checkplus_exp/concept/
rules/' '$CDS_INST_DIR/tools/checkplus_exp/concept/custom_rules/
'
INCLUDEPATH '$ADW_CONF_ROOT/<company>/<site>/checkplus/
rules_include/' '$ADW_CONF_ROOT/<company>/<site>/checkplus/
custom_rules_include/' '$CDS_INST_DIR/tools/checkplus_exp/
concept' '$CDS_INST_DIR/tools/checkplus_exp/concept/templates'
END_CHECKPLUS
3. Create an .erl file at
e.
4. Create the required .h file at
de.
5. Compile the .erl file to .rle file and copy it at
<ADW_CONF_ROOT>\<company>\<site>\checkplus\custom_rules\rules
.
For more details on how to write Rules Checker rule files, see Allegro Design Entry
HDL Rules Checker User Guide.
6. Launch Configuration Manager and click Set up or Manage Company & Site.
❑ If you created a rule for a library flow, navigate to Allegro EDM Conf Root –
<company> – <site> – Tool Configuration – Library Workbench – Schematic
Model Verification – library_verification.ini.

❑ If you created a rule for a design flow, navigate to Allegro EDM Conf Root –
<company> – <site> – Tool Configuration – Logical Design – Schematic
Design Verification – verif.ini.
9. Open
<ADW_CONF_ROOT>\<company>\<site>\library_verification\15.5\li
brary_verification.ini and do the following changes:
Add the path to the rule you just created:
custom_rules
Add the name of the rule you just created:
myrules.my_custom_rule = on
10. Launch Flow Manager. You will notice that the new rule is loaded and executed.


H
About Allegro EDM
Allegro EDM is a suite of products that helps you implement a collaborative design
environment involving your design teams, methodologies, corporate design databases, and
tools.
In an enterprise design chain, there are usually multiple design sites which are independent
as far as design development is concerned, but are dependent on the corporate library
databases for the use of approved and preferred parts, the reuse of design blocks, and so on.
■ If you work with Design Entry HDL, you can use Allegro EDM for a design life cycle,
library development and management, and data management features to control design
and library management processes. Allegro EDM provides standard flows for design
cycles at sites and allows you to share released and work-in-progress design data with
other sites. This results in a dynamic and concurrent design environment for all the PCB
design flows.
■ If you work with a setup of multiple Allegro System Capture users (multi-user
environment), library data is managed by Allegro EDM. As a result, library development
and management is done using the following Allegro EDM utilities: Flow Manager,
Database Editor, Database Administration, Library Distribution, and so on.
About Allegro Library Manager - for Allegro System

Capture and Design Entry HDL
Allegro Library Manager is for participants in the library development, management, and
distribution process such as component engineers, CAD librarians, and library
administrators.
Librarians across design sites may be involved in developing, modifying, and distributing
parts and their associated data to design teams for use with Allegro System Capture, Allegro
Design Entry HDL, OrCAD ®Capture Component Information System (CIS) (schematic
symbols), and Allegro PCB Editor (PCB footprints). As a result, a standardized library
development flow and automatic update of changes to design sites is critical for enterprise
library developers. Automatic synchronization helps design centers remain up-to-date with

About Allegro EDM
changes to components and libraries by librarians. Using Library Manager, librarians can
define the graphic and parametric information, and metadata required for design tools and
Allegro EDM.
Librarian can test library elements in the same environment that is used in production and to
perform all the tasks that a designer performs when using the libraries. The Allegro Library
Manager server, used as a central repository for librarians, can optionally connect to a
product life cycle management (PLM) server for the synchronization of business metric data
that provides design engineers with real-time decision data.
Some of the key benefits of Allegro Library Manager include:

■ The ability to set up standard part creation methodologies using Allegro EDM Flow
Manager to streamline the library development process. You can create different flows
with access to different tools for different types of parts.
■ Ability to create and manage preferred parts, EDA parametric databases, and tool-
specific EDA libraries
■ A central master library of preferred parts and approved library data that is automatically
distributed to various design sites as changes are made in the library by librarians. All
design sites therefore have access to up-to-date library and component information.
■ Regulatory compliance directives can be captured in Allegro Library Manager, making
them searchable in Part Information Manager. You can automatically source or
synchronize regulatory compliance information with a corporate PLM system using the
Release Management utility, which integrates with Allegro Library Manager.
See the following guides for details about the various library development and management
utilities:
■ Allegro EDM Database Editor User Guide
■ Allegro EDM Database Administrator User Guide
■ Allegro EDM Library Distribution User Guide
■ Allegro EDM Library Import User Guide
■ Allegro EDM Report Generator User Guide
■ Allegro EDM Data Exchange Reference Guide

About Allegro EDM
About Allegro Data Manager - Only for Design Entry HDL

This Allegro EDM utility is only for Design Entry HDL. Allegro Data Manager provides a
collaborative design and data management solution for key stakeholders in the PCB design
process, such as schematic designers, layout designers, signal integrity engineers, and
component engineers. A high-level of customization and tight integration with Allegro Design
Entry HDL, Allegro PCB SI, and Allegro PCB Editor helps you implement enterprise design
methodologies across various design sites and disciplines.
Using the same application for part search as Allegro Library Manager, Allegro Data Manager
allows parametric component searches that tie into your company’s preferred components
database, promoting the use of approved and preferred parts and reducing component
research time.
Team collaboration on a design (also called team design option and abbreviated to TDO) is
one of two primary functionalities in Allegro Design Management, which also provides work-
in-progress (WIP) data management.
Team design allows multiple design engineers or PCB designers to collaborate

asynchronously in the development of a logical design or board. Schematic designs can be
user-partitioned at the hierarchical block level, and assigned to specific members of a team,
providing them with an isolated workspace for the development and verification of their
partitions, blocks, or subdesigns. A dashboard also allows users to view the state of various
subdesigns, the current versions of a shared project versus a local working project, and a set
of functions that allows the management of sub-designs.
Because Allegro Design Management manages schematic and board files separately, it
offers the ability to manage multiblock hierarchical, and flat designs, with multiple users
concurrently modifying portions of the logical and physical design including secure shared
areas for local and globally dispersed design teams.
This shared area, for version control, can be a central location for which all team members
have write permission so that they can save their work. For example, the central location can
be the file system, a SharePoint server, or a PLM system.
Some of the key benefits of Allegro Data Manager include:

■ Design data management for secure management of design data
■ Greater utilization of preferred and approved components
■ Improved quality and reduced board spins by providing common access to up-to-date
library data
■ Part Information Manager for component research

About Allegro EDM
■ Streamlined information flows between designers, component engineers,

manufacturing, and procurement by expanding access to component information and
design data
Refer to Allegro Design Management User Guide.
About Allegro Part Information Manager - Only for Design

Entry HDL
Allegro Part Information Manager provides parametric component search, which helps you
search for your company’s preferred components, thereby helping lower costs and reduce
inventory. Users can view schematic symbols, PCB footprints, and component datasheets
during the selection process, and use the selected parts to build a preliminary BOM from
which parts can be added directly to a schematic. For more information, refer to Allegro EDM
Part Information Manager User Guide.
Note: Allegro System Capture users work with Unified Search to search for parts (in a single
or multi-user environment) and to raise new part requests in a multi-user environment.

About Allegro EDM
Understanding Design and Library Workflows

Before you configure and start working with Allegro EDM or Pulse, it is important that you
familiarize yourself with the types of flows Allegro EDM and Pulse support.
In an enterprise design environment, different user roles and groups are responsible for
design and library development activities. Various stakeholders in these activities have
different needs, objectives and methodologies, which can be categorized as either in the
designers’ domain or the librarians’ domain. As a result, PCB flows in Allegro EDM and Pulse
are divided into:
■ About Design Workflows
■ About Library Flows
About Design Workflows

If you work with Allegro System Capture, Cadence provides a default design workflow.
Administrators managing an environment of multiple System Capture users can also
customize workflows. Refer to System Capture User Guide for information on the default
design workflow.
If you work with Design Entry HDL, Allegro Data Manager provides you with out-of-the-box
design flows, which are part of the front-to-back flow of the PCB design process. You can use
these out-of-the-box flows as templates to customize your own standard flows. Allegro EDM
supports the following PCB flows:
■ Board Design Flow
Refers to the front-to-back flow where component libraries (cells and PTFs) to be used
in the design are cached within the Allegro EDM project directory structure. The local
cache makes the design portable and enables you to work in an offline mode. The local
cache isolates the designer from the changes made to the reference library on a daily
basis. However, it allows the designer to pull the reference library changes into the local
cache as and when required.
■ Design Reference Flow
Refers to a design project where the component libraries required are accessed from a
reference location. Projects of this type reference all library elements from a shared
reference library and therefore access the reference library area while working on the
design.
■ High-Speed Flow

About Allegro EDM
Refers to the flow that involves high-speed schematic design. This flow supports the
high-speed team design environment and allows you to use high-speed models and
design tools.
About Library Flows

These flows are part of library development and management activities. The flows are aimed
at generating, assembling, and releasing all the library data elements (for example, symbol,
package/footprint, padstacks, and behavioral models) for the specific tools used in the design
process. Library Manager provides the following flows:
■ Library Development
Allows you to create, validate, and release component libraries.
■ Library Import
Allows you to import legacy and existing component libraries into the Allegro EDM
solution. This is an important library flow for bringing legacy libraries into Allegro EDM
before your designers start using Allegro EDM.
■ Library Distribution
Allows you to distribute modified and up-to-date component libraries to multiple design
sites.
Choosing a Flow
The nature of your work in the design process and your role should determine the flow to
choose. While the designer flow concentrates on capturing the design process from
schematic capture, verification, simulation, to PCB layout, the librarian flow focuses on tools
and systematic methodology for rapid generation and management of complete, consistent,
and correlated libraries that support the enterprise design methodology.
Switching Between Flows
In Allegro EDM, you can launch the flows using Allegro EDM Flow Manager. Unless your role
requires you to work on different flows and you have the necessary privileges to do so, you
cannot switch between the flows. By default, only super users or administrators can switch
flows.

About Allegro EDM
Customizing Flows
Because design methodologies can vary across enterprises and can be different among
design sites of an enterprise, Allegro EDM allows a high degree of flow customization.
Depending on your design process requirements, design site constraints, user roles, and
design tools, you can create and configure flows that match corporate design objectives.
■ If you work with Allegro System Capture, see Customizing In-Design Workflows.
■ If you work with Design Entry HDL, Allegro EDM Flow Manager is the one-stop tool that
allows you to create, use, and manage flows.
For details on using Allegro EDM Flow Manager to customize and implement new flows, see
Allegro EDM Flow Manager User Guide.

About Allegro EDM

I
Appendix
Mapping of Pulse Internal Service Names and UI Terms

As a microservice framework that provides services such as library management, part
search, embedded data management, enterprise PLM integration, Pulse has internal names
for various services.
Although these service names are visible in the graphical user interface with user-
understandable terms, the internal service names are visible in command prompt windows
and in Pulse Manager and Pulse Service Manager.
For a better understanding of which internal name maps with which GUI term, see the
following table:
Internal Service Name User-Facing Term

Apollo Pulse API Documentation
Athena Pulse Dashboard
Atom Pulse
Beehive Pulse Datamart
Bifrost Pulse Data Management
Element Pulse Manager
Executrix Pulse Task Manager
Felix Authentication Service
Workflow Pulse Workflow
Hydra Pulse Block Storage
Iris Messaging
Kronos Version Graph

Appendix
Magneto Pulse Message Bus

Minerva Pulse Library Manager
Pantheon Pulse Metadata Store
Raven Pulse Email Notification
Salus Pulse User Management
Shipper Pulse Logging
Terminus Pulse API
Unicorn Unified Search
Vault Allegro EDM Vault
Vista Pulse Service Manager
Design Entry HDL Users: Server Connectivity Problems

When Using Part Information Manager
If you are a Design Entry HDL user, you might sometimes see either ERROR(SPDWUB-59)
or ERROR(SPDWUB-6) when opening Part Information Manager to place components.
These errors mean that Part Information Manager cannot communicate with the Designer
Server.
First, ensure that the hotfix installed on the client machine and the Designer Server is the
same, unless the client machine is intentionally on a higher hotfix and the server administrator
has configured it accordingly.
Server connectivity problems can happen for various reasons, such as the following:
■ Case 1: The server is not running or is not responding to the client machines
a. If not already stopped, the server administrator needs to stop the Designer Server
from Windows Services or by using adwstop.bat.
b. Restart the Designer Server from Windows Services or by using adwstart.bat.

■ Case 2: Allegro EDM configuration issue

Appendix
a. Confirm whether the mapped drive path to the Designer Server PCBDW_LIB on
your machine is configured right and can connect to the Designer Server.
b. Edit the workbench.ini file on the Designer Server and make sure that it points
to the same Designer Server.
■ Case 3: Change the http protocol to https in the workbench.ini file on the
Designer Server.
a. Edit workbench.ini at ../adw_conf_root/<company>/<site>/

workbench.ini.
b. Change the protocol from http to https.
■ Case 4: Firewall issue

Check whether the Windows firewall is blocking any of the following:
❑ Port 7100 or the assigned port on the EDM Designer Server.
❑ java.exe and/or port 7100 or the assigned port on the client machine.
■ Case 5: Request is timing out

Appendix
Increase the timeout by adding the "DAO_Timeout" directive with a value greater than
300ms in the project CPM file, as follows:
START_COMPBROWSER
DAO_Timeout ‘500’
END_COMPBROWSER

Appendix
Indexing Libraries for Faster Part Search

When designers create new projects in Allegro System Capture, an index is also
automatically created for all the configured libraries. This index is used by Part Information
Manager and Unified Search in Allegro System Capture to show parts from all the libraries.
The index can be maintained at the project or the central library (central repository of parts)
level.
If you are a designer working in a single-user environment but with many local parts, the first-
time indexing process might be a time-consuming or resource-intensive task. This means that
designers cannot add parts until the indexing is complete. To avoid such situations, use
central indexing.
As the name suggests, an index is created and is saved at a central location. All the client
applications get a copy of the central index and use that to access the library parts. This
eliminates the requirement of generating an index repeatedly on every designer machine. In
the case of large libraries, this cuts down getting started time on a new project drastically.
To create a central library index and use it across System Capture designs for installations
that are not using EDM Library Manager, do the following:
1. Have a SITE area configured. To implement central indexing, changes need to be made
to the following files in the SITE area:
❑ Library mapping file (cds.lib)
❑ Site-level project file (site.cpm)
2. Add all the libraries that need to be included in the central index to the library mapping
file: $CDS_SITE/cdssetup/cds.lib.
3. Specify the location for the central index file in the site.cpm file.
4. Open the $CDS_SITE/cdssetup/projmgr/site.cpm file and make the following
changes:
START_COMPBROWSER
central_index_path ‘<central_index_path>’
END_COMPBROWSER
where, central_index_path is a directory which must be accessible to all the
designers and can be written to by the library administrator.
For example:
central_index_path '${CDS_SITE}/central_indexed_database'

Appendix
central_index_path 'D:/central_indexed_database'
After the above configuration is complete, the next step creates the central index
database.
Use the following command to run the indexer process on the same machine where the
central libraries are to ensure that the process completes quickly and is not affected by
the network speed and latency:
<Cadence installation directory>/tools/pcbdw/bin/indexer.bat
All the library data is read, and the central index database is created at the location
specified in the cpm file directive (step 2).
Using Central Index Database
After the central index is set up at the site level, when a new project is created, instead of
generating the index data, System Capture copies the index data from the central index path
to the local machine, if it is not already available there. This copy of the index is then used by
the part search browsers. If the libraries are modified, the index data in the project area is
dynamically updated.
Updating Central Index Database
The central index can get out of sync as changes are made to the reference libraries. As
libraries keep getting updated, the central index also needs to be updated. Whenever there
is an update in the central index database, the connected client applications detect the
changes and get a new copy of the central index. This ensures that the latest data is always
available to designers.
After the libraries have been updated, run the indexer command again to update the index
data. This can be run manually after the library update or can be configured as a Cron job
running at regular intervals. The updated and latest library changes get reflected in Part
Information Manager and Unified Search across System Capture designs.
Note: If the location of the central index is not specified or not found, System Capture
categorizes the libraries in projects into two categories: those from the site and others. Site
libraries are indexed once and shared across projects. Other libraries are indexed per project.

Index
Symbols K
[] in syntax 12 keywords 12
{} in syntax 12
| in syntax 12
L
A Library Development 244
Library Import and Distribution 244
Allegro Library Manager 240 literal characters 12
Automatic synchronization 239
O
B
or-bars in syntax 12
Board Design Flow 243
braces in syntax 12
brackets in syntax 12 S
Site Configuration
C Default Sites 162, 164
startworkbench.bat variables
conventions using in tools.ini 198
user-defined arguments 12 Switching Between Flows 244
user-entered text 12
Customizing Flows 245
T
D tools.ini
variables 198
Design Reference Flow 243
Designer Flows 243
V
H vertical bars in syntax 12
High-Speed Flow 243
I
italics in syntax 12


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October 2019 5 Product Version 17.4-2019

Troubleshooting in Single-User Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

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Shutting Down and Restarting Pulse Master Node . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92

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October 2019 8 Product Version 17.4-2019

October 2019 9 Product Version 17.4-2019

Creating a Rules Checker Rule . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235

October 2019 10 Product Version 17.4-2019

About This Guide

Related Tools and Flows

October 2019 11 Product Version 17.4-2019

Typographic and Syntax Conventions

literal Nonitalic words indicate keywords that you must enter

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The business functions available to administrators, front-end designers, board engineers

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About Sites in the Pulse Environment

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This text (blurred for privacy) indicates the

Pulse icon - accessed from the system tray

Deployment Environments on the Pulse Platform

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Features Leveraging the Pulse Platform

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■ Out-of-the-box for a single-user environment

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❑ System Capture designers:

The list of technologies available on the Pulse platform are as follows:

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Pulse Features in Single-User Environment

Business Function Brief Description

October 2019 20 Product Version 17.4-2019

Pulse Features in Single-User Environment

Business Function Brief Description

You can free-text search based on categories and use parametric

For information on how to launch Unified Search from System

Publish for Manufacturing simplifies the interaction between

For more information on the Release Management business

October 2019 21 Product Version 17.4-2019

Pulse Features in Single-User Environment

Business Function Brief Description

In addition, Pulse user management can be linked to a corporate

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System Capture designers can also work with local libraries.

As an ECAD administrator (mapped to the Administrator role in

For details on customizing workflows, see Customizing In-Design

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Pulse presents logging information using Kibana, an open source

For details on sharing designs with other team members of a

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In Pulse Manager, you can do the following tasks:

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■ View the Pulse logs.

Viewing Design and Library-Related Logs in Single-User

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Pulse presents logging information

In the current release,