Orcad 16.6 Tutorial <CONFIRMED – 2025>

Before diving into the mouse clicks, let’s address the elephant in the room: Why learn an "old" version? OrCAD 16.6 (released circa 2012) is still the baseline for many corporations and fabrication houses. Its database structure is predictable, its PSpice simulation engine is robust, and most third-party libraries support .olb and .dra files natively. Mastering 16.6 gives you transferable skills to newer versions (17.2, 17.4, 22.1) while avoiding the learning curve of their UI changes.

To assign unique part designators automatically across a large schematic, select your project folder in the file tree, navigate to , select Incremental Reference Update , and click OK . Section 3: Circuit Verification and PSpice Simulation

: You can also use Ultra Librarian or Library Loader to download pre-made symbols and footprints. 3. Netlist Generation and Layout orcad 16.6 tutorial

Draw a perimeter around the board; the software automatically floods copper while maintaining clearances around non-GND traces. Silkscreen and Artwork Configuration Click > Silence or Artwork .

Connections between components represent physical copper traces on the board. Press W to activate the tool. Before diving into the mouse clicks, let’s address

Launch (Component Information System). This is your canvas for logical design.

Click directly onto a wire to assign the name. Wires with identical net aliases are electrically connected. 3. Preparing the Schematic for PCB Layout Mastering 16

Before jumping into the board design, you must "prepare" your schematic data. Annotation Tools > Annotate

Complete Guide to OrCAD 16.6: From Schematic Capture to PCB Layout