[PROTEL EDA USERS]: Database Access

["Robert Wills" <RWills@AdvancedEnergy.com>]

I wonder if someone can help:

We need to link Protel schematic to our company parts database, or more
explicitly, to check the schematic against our parts database:

We put a company part number in Part Field 1, and I would like to be able to
check that Lib ref, footprint, part type, designator prefix etc. make sense.

Otherwise, someone could put part number R100102 into part field 1 of a
capacitor or other part, but manufacturing would think that it is a 10K
resistor..

I have a work around now where we use the sch:exporttodatabase process, then
compare the exported database of the schematic to our company parts
database.

This has problems:

1/ The exported DBF file is not access compatible.  I have to import to
Excel and resave for Access to read it.

2/ I can update the exported database, but cannot get Protel to successfully
read it back in and update parts, so for now, we are manually fixing
schematic fields.

SO... there are several questions:

1/ Is there a trick to importing database information back into Schematic (I
would need only to update only a few fields).

2/ Is it possible to work with the Protel database directly?  I tried
opening a protel DDB file (with the whole design kept as an access database)
but was told I needed a password.  What is that password, and would having
it get me any further?

Thanks,

Rob Wills
Advanced Energy
Wilton, NH