Objective: To learn how to sync component libraries between Duro and Altium.

Difficulty: Expert

In this article:

Understanding the Altium PLM Connector
- Benefits of the PLM Connector
Overview of component syncing
- Altium: starting the component sync
- Duro: sourcing tab check
Pro Tips

The Component Sync process synchronizes Altium's component library with Duro, ensuring that component parameters and sourcing information are updated in Duro. This overnight or scheduled sync updates Duro's library with Altium's part choices data. Configuration involves adjusting settings in Altium A365's Admin tab under PLM integration and via the configuration XML file. If you wish to only sync components published into Duro on projects, update the source criteria filter in the configuration XML to filter based on the presence of the PlmPartNumber parameter. Once synced, changes in components' specifications and sourcing data are reflected in Duro, with sourcing details pulled from Octopart.

Understanding the Altium PLM Connector

The PLM Connector for Altium 365 maps your Altium projects, parts, design files, and manufacturing data with Duro PLM. This integration reduces design errors and supports automated workflows, making product development more efficient.

The component sync process is fully automated and operates in the background once you’ve configured your connection. Unlike manual user actions, the sync runs based on the schedule you’ve set. For instance, if you schedule the sync nightly, the system will automatically compare and synchronize the components between Duro and Altium every night during that designated time.

You can customize the sync frequency according to your needs, ensuring that your component data is consistently and accurately synchronized between both systems.

Benefits of the PLM Connector

Data synchronization

The connector allows two-way data synchronization between Altium 365 and Duro PLM. Changes in one system are automatically updated in the other, reducing manual data entry and errors.

Project setup

Project templates and automatic part number generation within Duro PLM ensure consistent and quick project starts.

Part management

Access all required components directly within the Altium interface, minimizing the need to switch between tools.

Data release

Templates in Altium ensure all manufacturing deliverables are complete and accurate, facilitating reliable data transfer to manufacturing.

Please refer to Altium’s Cloud PLM Connector documentation for more information on setting up the Altium PLM Connector.

Overview of component syncing

In this section, we will walk you through the Component Sync process between Altium and Duro. Altium has a long-running process called Component Sync to synchronize the Altium component library into your Duro library. It is recommended that you run this process overnight, and it can be scheduled to run periodically. When components are synced via Component Sync, their part choice data will be pushed from Altium into Duro. Run this process to ensure that your component’s parameters and sourcing information in Duro are up to date.

Altium: starting the component sync

This process will sync the components from Altium into Duro.

Navigate to the Admin tab in the Altium A365 web client.
Under this tab, click on the PLM integration section.
On the right-hand side of the screen, you'll see the PLM connection that was set up in the connection setup section.*
Click on the green pencil icon to edit the connection.
Click the Component Synchronization tab in the edit window.
Check the box for the Synchronize PLM components with server on schedule.
Below the checkbox, the sync can be configured to run either on an hourly frequency or on a daily schedule. Edit the synchronization dropdown according to your preference. Select either Hourly or Daily in the right dropdown, and select an hourly or daily numerical frequency in the left dropdown.
Optional: Click on the Sync on demand dropdown and select either Full or Incremental to further customize the sync options. Choosing Full will sync every component from Altium into Duro. Choosing Incremental will only sync components that have changed since the last sync.

*Note: on this connection, there's a green play button. This button can be used to immediately start a component sync to schedule the library sync to run.

We recommend running this process overnight when users aren't actively making changes to components. Once the Component Sync has run, Duro components will have all changes to their specifications and sourcing data updated.

Duro: sourcing tab check

Switch to your Duro account to view the sourcing information of a component or assembly migrated from your Altium account to your Duro account.

Sign in to your Duro account.
Navigate to a component or assembly from your component library, your dashboard, or by utilizing the Search Bar.
Click on the Sourcing tab.

The MPNs associated with this component in the Altium part choices have been copied into Duro, and the relevant information pulled from Octopart. To change this information, the part choices information in Altium must be updated to have another MPN associated or removed from this list. Additional MPNs may be manually added to a component via the Duro web client. The component sync process will not remove an MPN value from a component in Duro once associated.

Pro Tips

To prevent common errors during component synchronization between Altium and Duro, follow these best practices:

Set the Unit of Measure (UoM): Missing UoM values can cause the synchronization to fail.
Send the correct revision value: Incorrect revision values may prevent components from being created or updated properly.
Check the LinkIfAllExists setting: If this setting is enabled and a component doesn't exist in Duro, the BOM sync will fail. Instead, use the "CreateNewAndLink" setting to ensure smooth synchronization.

By following these guidelines, you can avoid errors and ensure a seamless component sync process between Altium and Duro.