This dialog is used to check components in your design against their corresponding entries in your corporate database, and report (and optionally update) any differences between the two.
This option is only available as part of the Pulsonix Database Connection (PDC).
Shortcuts
Default Keys: None
Default Menu: Tools
Command: Check Against Database
Locating this option
Available from: Tools menu > Check/Update Against Database option
How to use this dialog
This dialog may be displayed by selecting Check against Database from the Tools menu on the main menubar. Alternatively, click the Check/Update against Database toolbar button or enter an assigned shortcut key.
Choose Items to Check
You may choose to Check All Components in your design, just Selected Components (Current Page) or Selected Components (All Pages) which are those currently selected when this dialog is displayed.
Note When using Selected Components (All Pages), this option is only available if components are selected on different pages.
If your design is using variants then only components (and associated parts) fitted in the ‘Current’ design variant will be included.
Choose What to Check
This option allows you to specify what type of discrepancies to check for:
Components using Local Parts will identify components in the design that are not linked to the corporate database and have been loaded (or reloaded) directly from the Pulsonix Parts library instead, without reference to the database.
Attributes Different To Database allows those components whose attribute values in the design do not match the values defined for the corresponding database record to be identified. This check may be further sub-divided in to a check on those attributes identified as Critical in the Pulsonix Database Connection, and/or Normal (non-critical) attributes loaded from the database.
Associated Parts additionally allows Associated Parts in the design to be checked to ensure they too are linked to the corporate database. If the Attributes Different To Database option is also checked, any associated parts attributes which do not match those values defined for the corresponding database record will be identified.
If only Selected Components are being checked then only associated parts relating to those selected components will be checked.
Update Design from Database
Checking the Allow Update of Design to Match Database option enables the Update button in addition to the Check button on the right hand side of the dialog. The Update Component Attributes and Update Local Components To Databaseoptions specific the type of updates to perform and are described in more detail in the Updating the Design to Match the Database section below.
Report Results
Clicking the Check button will perform the specified checks generating a
The database status values are dependent on what checks are selected but generally indicate the following:
| Pass | The component has an associated database record and its values for Critical/Normal attributes being checked matches those of the database record. | |
| Fail | The component has no associated database record and is using a local part only or has Critical attributes that do not match its associated database record. | |
| Warning | The component has an associated database record but has Normal attributes that do not match its associated database record. | |
| Unchecked | The component could not be checked against the database for some reason. |
Checking the Highlight Components option will cause all affected components in the design to be highlighted according to their resulting status; Pass, Fail, Warning or Unchecked. You can further refine this highlighting to be shown only for Components using Local Parts and/or Mismatched Components which are those with attribute discrepancies.
The colour of each highlight can be changed by using either of the PCB Colours or Schematics Colours dialogs.
The
The Write Report option will generate a report containing details and results of the database checks performed. Checking View Report on Completion will automatically show the report once a Check or Update has completed.
Default
Clicking this button will return the dialog settings to their default state.
Reset
Clicking this button will remove the
Setup
This button provides access to the Database Connection Setup dialog.
Remove All
This button will strip all database information from components and associated parts in the design. It will only act on those components (and associated parts) currently chosen to be checked. You will be asked to confirm this action.
Database Check Report
This report includes specific details about attributes that failed to match and additional information about why a component may have failed to check against the database. An example is shown below:
Database Check
--------------
Report Written : 10/04/2024 16:59:42
Design Path : C:\Pulsonix\Designs\DBTest1.pcb
Design Title : DBTest1
Checking All Components for:
Components using Local Parts
Components with Critical Attribute Mismatch
Components with Normal Attribute Mismatch
R1 Pass
R2 Fail (TOL% [5:1])
R3 Pass
R5 Unchecked (Component 'R5': Key Field PIN (DB_PIN) = "07130163" can not be found in database table [Resistor])
R4 Fail (Local Part)
Checking Associated Parts for:
Local Associated Parts
Associated Parts with Critical Attribute Mismatch
Associated Parts with Normal Attribute Mismatch
M2-PLAIN-WASHER Fail (Local Part)
M2-PZPNHD-10 Fail (Local Part)
---------------- End Of Report ----------------
Updating the Design to Match the Database
As well as checking for discrepancies, it is also possible to automatically update components in the design to match the latest definition in the database. If the Allow Update of Design to Match Database option is enabled, in addition to the Check button, the Update button is also available. Clicking Update will perform a database check and attempt to update components that do not already match the associated database record.
If Update Component Attributes is checked, component attributes in the design that do not already match the those in the associated database record will be updated to do so. These may be Critical or Normal attributes or both depending on what has been selected for checking.
The Update Local Component to Database option will attempt to associate local Pulsonix components to their equivalent record in the corporate database. To do this it will use their Part Name to search for an equivalent database record with a matching Part Name field as defined in the mapping in the Database Connection Setup dialog. This feature is most applicable when there is a one to one relationship between the parts in the Pulsonix library and the records that defined the parts in the database. Where this is not the case and more than one database record maps to a given Pulsonix part then updating will match to the first one it finds in the database. Although, if the ‘Map To’ attribute is being used and no Part Name match is made, it will attempt to match using the mapping attribute which may identify a unique record in the database. For more explicit mapping the; Replace Part or Change Part facility should be used instead which will allow the appropriate database record to be identified and selected for each Pulsonix component. Local components that do not find a database match will be left at ‘Fail’ status.
Use the Prompt when multiple matches check box so that if multiple matches are found for a Part, a dialog is displayed showing you the record sets that matched with the Part attributes.
If Associated Parts have been included in the checks then they will be included in the update as necessary.
The Database Check Report will indicate the updated components alongside the check that was not successful and caused the update.
Save/Load Settings
It is possible to save the current dialog settings to a file by using the Save button. These settings may be subsequently reloaded whenever required using the Load button. Loading or saving a settings file will cause it to becomes the current one and its name is shown in the text box. By default, the Database Check dialog will remember the settings from the previous time it was closed. If a settings file is in use it will restore the settings from that instead. Clicking the Clear button will cause the dialog to return to the state where it has no current settings file.
Related Topics
Pulsonix Database Connection | Database Browser | Database Setup