Objective: To explain how bidirectionality works and how to configure it.
Difficulty: Easy
In this article:
Bidirectionality between Duro and Altium allows for automatic synchronization of component data, ensuring both platforms remain consistent and up-to-date. Users can maintain accurate records of key component attributes, like revisions and descriptions, by pushing and pulling data between these systems. However, while Duro handles parameters and specifications, manual adjustments are needed for a component’s schematic symbol and footprint.
Overview
Bidirectionality enables Duro users to seamlessly synchronize component data between Duro and Altium. This means that components can be pushed from Altium to Duro, created based on existing data in Altium. The reverse is also true: updates in Duro automatically reflect in Altium, ensuring both systems remain in sync. Key parameters like revision, name, description, and all associated specifications are transferred between the platforms, guaranteeing data accuracy and consistency across both systems.
Note: Users must define mappings and bidirectionality for each attribute to be transferred from one system to another.
If you use other ECAD tools and want to integrate their components into your workflow, bidirectionality offers an excellent solution. Users can export their component libraries from these tools into a spreadsheet, upload them to Duro, and then seamlessly transfer those components into Altium, ensuring platform continuity and consistency. This is why you may consider pushing data from Duro back into Altium.
Footprint and symbol population
When you sync a component from Duro to Altium or vice versa, its symbol and footprint will not automatically populate with the component-specific data. Instead, the default category settings will be used, which might not always be accurate. Therefore, users must manually edit the symbol (schematic) and the footprint (board layout).
The default settings are applied because Duro does not interface with the geometric data associated with electrical components, which is similar to how it handles MCAD data. Duro stores only the parameters and specifications of a component, not its geometry. As a result, ensure that the component record includes its name, description, and all relevant parameter values. Subsequently, manually add the specific footprint and symbol for the component in Altium.
How to configure bidirectionality
In Altium365, navigate to the Component Parameters Mapping section under the PLM Integration tab and select “To PLM & Altium” from the dropdown menu.
For more information on how this process should be completed, please refer to the “Component Parameter Mapping” of Altium’s help article.
Component parameters mapping
Configuration part choices
Configuration sync parameters
Please see Altium’s documentation on how to set up bidirectionality: PLM Integration. This article details the process for selecting criteria in component parameter mapping, part choices, and sync parameters when initializing your configuration preferences.
Additionally, refer PLM Integration for more information on the following processes and components:
- Connecting to Your PLM Instance
- Third-Party PLM Support
- Configuration Setup
- Component Parameter Mapping
- PLM Classification Attributes
- Part Choices
- Project Configuration XML
- Publish Template Addition
- Component Synchronization
- Performing Component Synchronization
- Accessing PLM-related Processes
- Process Workflows
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