Library Management
IRI: https://w3id.org/altium/cdm/library
Models the components stored in a Workspace and their revisions, the symbols, footprints, parameters, datasheets and part choices that make them up, and the component templates they can be created from. It also covers manufacturer parts in the Workspace part catalog, part requests, and reusable design content such as reuse blocks, managed sheets, and schematic and PCB snippets. It corresponds to Workspace components and design reuse in Altium Designer and Altium 365.
In the product
In the API
Library Management in the Altium 365 API reference: the queries, mutations and types of this bounded context.
Entities
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Component | Component represents a uniquely identifiable electronic part, defined by both its abstract design intent and its concrete realizations in manufacturing and supply. |
| Component Revision | Revision of a Component. |
| Component Template | Component Template defines a reusable blueprint for creating and managing electronic components with consistent parameters, metadata, and lifecycle policies. |
| Component Template Revision | A revision of a Component Template: the template definition, stored as a *.CMPT document, saved into the Workspace at one point in time. A component revision can be linked to a specific template revision, from which it takes its predefined parameters, models and settings. |
| Datasheet | Datasheet represents a technical document associated with a Component or Part, providing authoritative specifications, electrical characteristics, and manufacturer information. |
| Footprint | Footprint represents the physical layout definition of a Component on a PCB, specifying pad geometry, land patterns, and mechanical clearances required for assembly and manufacturing. |
| Footprint Revision | A revision of a Footprint: the PCB footprint as saved into the Workspace at one point in time, with its own lifecycle state. Editing a Workspace Footprint saves it into the next revision; components that still link to an earlier revision become out of date until they are updated. |
| Managed Sheet | A schematic sheet, with its components and wiring, stored in a Workspace so that it can be reused in other designs. A managed sheet may itself contain further managed sheets beneath it in a hierarchy, and the Workspace lets you trace which components it contains and which designs use it. |
| Managed Sheet Revision | A revision of a Managed Sheet: the schematic sheet as saved into the Workspace at one point in time. A design uses a specific revision, so when the sheet is revised, existing designs can be updated to the new revision or kept on the previous one. |
| Part | A manufacturer part, identified by manufacturer and part number, as held in the Workspace's Part Catalog together with the supplier parts through which it is sold. Workspace components reference manufacturer parts through their Part Choices. |
| Part Request | Part Request represents a formal demand from a designer to introduce a new Component or Part into the managed library, typically triggered when an item is not yet available in the workspace. |
| PCB Snippet | A selection of circuitry from a PCB design, including its components and routing, saved so that it can be placed in other PCB documents. A snippet saved to a Workspace is revised like other Workspace items; snippets can also be kept in local folders. |
| PCB Snippet Revision | A revision of a PCB snippet as saved into the Workspace at one point in time. Editing a Workspace snippet saves it into the next revision. |
| Reuse Block | A reusable section of a design stored in a Workspace, typically combining schematic circuitry with its PCB representation; a block can also be schematic-only or PCB-only. Placing a reuse block on a schematic sheet brings its PCB content into the board design when changes are transferred through an ECO. |
| Reuse Block Revision | A revision of a Reuse Block: its schematic and/or PCB content as saved into the Workspace at one point in time, with its own lifecycle state. Editing a reuse block saves it into the next revision. |
| SCH Snippet | A selection of circuitry from a single schematic sheet, including its components, saved so that it can be placed in other designs. A snippet saved to a Workspace is revised like other Workspace items; snippets can also be kept in local folders. |
| SCH Snippet Revision | A revision of a schematic snippet as saved into the Workspace at one point in time. Editing a Workspace snippet saves it into the next revision. |
| Symbol | Symbol represents the logical schematic view of a Component, defining its electrical interface, pins, and attributes used to express circuit intent in design schematics. |
| Symbol Revision | A revision of a Symbol: the schematic symbol as saved into the Workspace at one point in time, with its own lifecycle state. Editing a Workspace Symbol saves it into the next revision; components that still link to an earlier revision become out of date until they are updated. |
Resources
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Component Parameter | A named parameter of a Workspace component, holding a value and, optionally, a data type. Parameters can be inherited from a component template or added directly to the component; a template can give them unit-aware (e.g. Farad, Ohm) or dictionary-defined types. |
| Part Choice | One entry in a component's Part Choice list: a manufacturer part, rather than a specific supplier, that may be used to implement the component, bringing with it the offers of the suppliers that sell it. Entries are ranked automatically by availability, price and lifecycle, and users can override the order with their own rank; the top preferred entry is used as the component's part choice in a BOM. |
| Part Choice List | The list of Part Choices for a component: the manufacturer parts that may be used to implement it on the assembled board. In the product the list is associated with the component and seen by all of its revisions; when part choice revision control is enabled, changing the list saves a new component revision. |