Hi all!
Is there any chance to convert schematics, pcb-layouts and if necessary 
the libraries from the old 32bit orcad386 to a newer program like 
Protel99SE and/or PADS Flow? I own all these programs, and want to 
update my old orcad schematics and layouts. It would be very nice if 
anyone knew an answer!

I did very much research, but i couldn't find any useful information.

Thank you in advance and best regards, Walter

Walter wrote:
> Is there any chance to convert schematics, pcb-layouts and if necessary
> the libraries from the old 32bit orcad386 to a newer program like
> Protel99SE

Some time ago i have written a software to convert Cadstar PCB to 
Protel99.
But:

1. Protel99 is also totally out of date, as the name implies.

2. My software could convert basic cadstar pcb data, not more, but also 
this is a very complex software, and although it is strictly object 
oriented a migration to orcad or anything else would be very expensive.

3. I did not write a similar software for schematics. I suppose such a 
software is even more complex.

Altium itself has written import software for variuos formats, but i did 
test it and found it totally unusable. The result is so incomplete that 
you need nearly the same time to correct it as you would need for a new 
design.

There are some commercial companies for conversion software or 
conversion on a contract basis, but generally spoken then conversion of 
different CAD formats is a unsolved problem.

sy Reinhard

Hi Reinhard!

I know that protel99 is out of date, but i have to do the conversion to 
any newer programm as OrCad DOS (386), because that is much more out of 
date. I want to Open the Schematics on windows without Problems and also 
in the future.

Does anyone knows where i get OrCad 9.2? I just read, that i can convert 
the old OrCad DOS format to a newer one, and this one can be read by 
protel99.

Thanks for your help reinhard! Its very appreciated!

Best regards, Walter

Hi all! i managed to convert all my schematics, pcb-layouts and 
libraries to protel99SE, OrCad 9.2, Altium Manager and Pads-Flow.

But now i have a final problem. I need to convert my schematics to pads 
flow that another person can work with it, and then i have to convert it 
back
FROM PADS FLOW TO ALTIUM/PROTEL/ORCAD.

Does anyone of you know whether this is possible?
It would help me very much!

Thanks for your help, mates.

Best regards, Walter