Configuration Manager for PCB Project

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Modified by Admin on Nov 6, 2013

The Configuration Manager for Dialog.

Summary

This dialog provides controls for the designer to map each configuration of a PCB project on the design side to a specific Item on the manufacturing side. The designer can add new configurations, edit or delete existing ones within this dialog.

Access

Run command Project >> Configuration Manager to access this dialog.

Options/Controls

In summary, the formal set of elements used to define a configuration for a PCB project are: Its name; Which variant it uses (if any); The specific Item it is targeting. To successfully release, the configuration must point to a revision of that Item that is in the Planned state; Which Output Job file(s) will drive the generation of its outputs – the instructions from which the targeted Item will be produced. A particular Output Job file can also include validation outputs, by which to constrain the release process, ensuring the design source used in the release is of the highest integrity.

For each configuration, simply specify a particular variant to be used (if applicable and/or required), assign which Output Job file(s) to be used, and browse the nominated Altium Vault to choose the Item to target (or map) the configuration to.

The Configuration Manager dialog is divided into configurations on the left, that map to target Items on the right. Each unique configuration must map to a unique Item in the target vault.

Left Side

Add New Configuration - Click on the Add New Configuration link, above the currently defined configuration(s) on the left-hand side of the dialog to add a new configuration. An additional configuration-target Item pair will be added to the dialog – the configuration specified in a region on the left, mapping to a target Item specified in a region on the right. Each new configuration will be given a default name, in the format New Configuration, New Configuration 1, and so on.
To change the unique name for a configuration rather than delete the default configuration, simply rename it and then define it as required. To rename a configuration, simply click within its name field and type the new name as required.

Delete - Click on the Delete link, to the right of the configuration's name. A dialog will appear asking for confirmation to proceed with the deletion – click Yes, and the configuration, along with its 'paired' target Item, will be removed.

When the Configuration Manager dialog is first accessed for a PCB project, a single base configuration is automatically added – with the name Default Configuration. The configuration is set to ignore variants (that is, include all components if targeting an assembled board Item), and is not mapped to any Item. Any Output Job files you have added to the project will also be listed, but are not assigned to the configuration.

Configuration - This is the configuration's unique identifier. When other parts of the system, on the design side, refer to the configuration, they do so using this name. It is unique in the scope of the PCB project. Specify the name for a configuration when you add it. Existing configurations can be renamed as required.

Ignore Variants - Enable this option if no variant is to be used to drive output generation. When targeting an assembled board Item, this simply means that the full base design will be used, that is, all components included (fitted) on the board.

Link to Variant - Enable this option and specify the name of the variant that is to be used to drive output generation, with respect to any assigned Output Job files for the configuration. Use the drop-down associated with the field to choose from a list of all currently defined variants for the project.

Include Output Jobs - The final part of defining a configuration is Output Job file assignment. Any Output Job files that are currently added to the PCB project are listed automatically here, by name. Each Output Job file has an associated check box. Enable a check box to assign the associated Output Job file to the configuration – that is, to specify that the Output Job file should drive the outputs of that configuration. Note that variant settings made in an Output Job file are overridden by the variant specified here in the Configuration Manager.

Right Side

Target Vault - The data generated upon releasing a design project (or rather defined configurations of that project) is stored in an Altium Vault. The Configuration Manager dialog provides a field with which to specify the vault to be used. The associated drop-down lists all currently connected Altium Vaults, enabled for use by the system. Simply choose the vault required from this list.
Last Release Information – the bottom left area of the region presents information regarding the last release of the Item, including the Item Revision ID, the release date, and the lifecycle state of that revision. If the Item has never been released, this region will simply display Unreleased.
Target Planned Revision for Next Release – this field is used to specify a planned revision of the target Item to be used when next releasing the corresponding configuration of the design project. Remember that in order to release a configuration, the revision of the Item into which the release data is to be stored must be in the Planned state. That is, it must be ready to accommodate that release data. Use the associated drop-down list to choose from all existing planned revisions of the specified Target Item.
Clear - Click this link to clear any links to target Item.

Each configuration you define is unique and in turn must map to a unique Item in the target Altium Vault. As such, each configuration is represented by its own dedicated region on the left side of the Configuration Manager dialog, mapping to a target Item defined in a dedicated region on the right side. This 'pairing' is visually indicative of the board design release concept – a configuration of the project on the design side released into a 'planned' revision of a targeted Item in the vault.