A simple Borland Turbo C 2.00 program, BIT2VEC.C, is useful for anyone using OrCAD SDT CAE software. The program, which you can download from EDN's FTP server (DI #1755), helps to convert OrCAD libraries from bit map to vector format.

If you use OrCAD for 16-bit PC architectures, which includes all versions up to OrCAD SDT IV, you can draw libraries in bit-map and vector formats. When using the new OrCAD 386+ for 32-bit PC architectures, you can use vector format only. When upgrading the software from OrCAD SDT 286 to SDT 386+, you need to convert custom libraries to 32-bit format using two OrCAD programs, Decomp16 and Composer. Decomp16 decompiles your custom library from 16-bit to ASCII format, and Composer compiles the library from ASCII to 32-bit format. Unfortunately, Composer ignores bit-map definitions and requires vector definitions.

You must, therefore, redraw all the components you defined using the bit-map format. BIT2VEC.C helps you avoid this tedious activity, which can be frequent if you need to exchange your files between design groups using different versions. The simple program converts libraries containing components with mixed definitions (bit map and vector) to libraries in vector format only. Composer can now use these libraries.

The following steps are necessary to perform the complete conversion. First, decompile the 16-bit library with Decomp16. Second, convert the formats from mixed to vector-only format using the BIT2VEC.C program. Third, recompile from ASCII file to 32-bit library with OrCAD's Composer.

You can run the following simple batch routine to perform this conversion:

VECTOR [complete path of filename.LIB to be converted]
echo off
cls
if exist %1.lib goto process
goto end
:process
C:\ORCADEXE\DECOMP16 %1.LIB %1.SRC
BIT2VEC %1.SRC %1.NEW
COPY %1.LIB %1.ORG
DEL %1.SRC
DEL %1.LIB
C:\ORCADEXE\COMPOSER %1.NEW %1.LIB
del %1.new
CLS
:end

If the original 16-bit library is already in vector format, BIT2VEC.C leaves it unchanged.