Dark Parts

In November 2018 Microsoft added Dark color themes for Access in Office 365.

Dark Gray Theme shown

In Access see File > Options > Office Theme











If you want more darkness . . .

In Parts Frontend > Configuration > Select Use Dark Color Theme.
























Then Close and Restart the Parts Frontend . . . 

That's it !

Altium SVNDBLIB Setup Links

If you are setting up a SVNDBLIB, review these SVNDBLIB links.

SVNDBLIB Model  (SVNDBLIB Flow Diagram)

SVNDBLIB - Install TortoiseSVN
SVNDBLIB - Create Repository for Symbols and Footprints

SVNDBLib Cache

SVN Overlay Icons
SVN Error Msgs

Altium Links: 

Working with Database Libraries | Online Documentation for Altium

SVN Database Library Conversion Wizard | Online - Altium

That's it !

Provider cannot be found . . .

Provider cannot be found, It may not be properly installed

Providers are ODBC Drivers used by Altium to connect to data sources.  Once connected to a data source through an ODBC driver Altium can read and write to the data source.

Data sources can be Excel, Access, MySQL, SQL and numerous other data sources with ODBC compliant drivers.

You can find the ODBC drivers installed on your machine by entering ODBC in the search box in the lower left corner of your desktop on Windows 10 machines.

"There are several reasons this message pops in your application or website. This article tries to clarify each particular situation."  Source - Connection Strings.

The 'Microsoft.ACE.OLEDB.12.0' provider is not registered on the local machine

Related Links: 

Using Database Libraries with 32-bit and 64-bit Altium
Jet for Access, Excel and Txt on 64 bit systems

To request technical support use the contact form on the Contact Parts page.

That's it !

New Features in Parts for Altium - Step Model Field

The latest release of Parts for Altium includes a Step Model field.



If the Parts_Backend does not have a Step Model field you will see #Name? in the Parts Frontend until field has been added to the Parts Backend.

MySQL Databases for Parts can be edited using MySQL Work bench.

click on image to view

That's it !

Using Database Libraries with Altium Nexus

To use Database Libraries with Altium Nexus select:

Preferences > System > General > Advanced. . . 

Enable Legacy.UnManagedLibraries and Legacy.LibraryPanel

That's it !

Parts Supports Multiple Users

Parts is split database solution that supports multiple users. The Parts Access backend (database) file should be placed in a shared folder on a file server to support multiple users.

See Benefits of splitting a database in this link: Microsoft - Share a split database 

The Parts Frontend application can be used to connect to Access or MySQL databases. 

Migrating Parts from MS Access to MySQL is simple using Export and Import tools included in the Parts Frontend.

The Parts Frontend (client) application should be installed on each user's machine only if the user needs to edit records in the database using the Parts Frontend.

Note that users (designers) who are only placing parts in an Altium design from the database library do not need the Parts Frontend application installed on their machines.

To place parts in a design users only need to install the *.DBlib Library in Altium.

The Parts Frontend is not required to use the free Parts database. The Parts Frontend is a tool that empowers librarians and designers to efficiently build and maintain the Parts database.

Download Parts and see for yourself how the Parts database library can dramatically increase your design team's productivity.

That's it !

Microsoft Access within an Organization's Overall Database Strategy

Luke Chung explains the trade offs and benefits of using Access databases.

According to Luke Chung:

"There is a lot of confusion over the role of Microsoft Access within an organization. Sitting between the power of Excel and client server databases, Access extends from simple end-user tasks to mission critical operations." 

Source Link: This paper hopes to cover the issues surrounding Access:

Using Database Libraries with 32-bit and 64-bit Altium

To support both AD17 and AD18 you need to use a 32bit version of MS Office and a 64bit Access Database Engine.  

Note the Access Database Engine is NOT the same thing as Access or Access Runtime.

The 64-bit Access Database Engine installs 64-bit ODBC drivers which allow 64-bit applications like AD18 to connect to data sources.

You can find ODBC drivers installed on your PC in Win 10 by entering ODBC in the search window.

In the link below Altium suggested thee possible solutions to connect both (AD17) 32bit and (AD18) 64bit versions of Altium to Microsoft Excel and Access data sources.

Using Database Libraries with 32-bit and 64-bit Altium Design Software on the same Computer | Online Documentation for Altium Products: 

Solution Matrix:

click on image to view

Solution 1 (Install 64bit Office) applies to only AD18. You can NOT bounce back and forth between AD17 and AD18 if you install a 64bit version of MS Office.  

Solution 1 does not apply to AD17 and earlier 32bit versions of Altium.

To support both AD17 and AD18 you need to use a 32bit version of MS Office and a 64bit Access Database Engine.

Altium Solution #2 for 32-bit Office 2007,2010,2013, 2016 (Office 365)

Important Steps !

Install 64-bit Microsoft Access Database Engine (2010) from the Command Prompt using the / passive switch.

You must select Run as administrator when you open the Command Prompt.

Example

then, Run the Registry Editor regedit.exe and browse to the following path: 

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\xx\Common\FilesPaths

Where xx is your version of Microsoft Office.

then delete or rename the mso.dll registry entry.

See Altium's Instructions:
Procedure for Installing 64-bit MS Access Database Drivers alongside 32-bit MS Office

Altium Solution #3 is Only for Office 2007

The procedure to install the 64-bit Microsoft Access Database Engine (2010) first, followed by the 32-bit version (2007) of Microsoft Office, is as follows:

1. Uninstall all 32-bit Office installations (including language packs and so on). If you have installed the 32-bit Microsoft Access Database Engine 2010, or 2016, you must uninstall this too.
2. Install the 64-bit Microsoft Access Database Engine 2010.
3. Reboot your computer.
4. Test if your 64-bit Altium Design Software works with Database Libraries.
5. Install the 32-bit version of Microsoft Office (2007).
6. Reboot your computer.
7. Test if your 32-bit Altium Design Software works with Database Libraries.

Solutions for Office 2007 and AD17 / AD18 DBLib Access databases.

Solution 1

You may need to uninstall all existing Access Database Engines, then reinstall the 32-Bit Microsoft Access Database Engine.

And then install 64-bit Microsoft Access Database Engine (2010) from the Command Prompt using the / passive switch.

Solution 2

I used a variation of the Altium Solution #3 for Office 2007.

I had trouble completing the uninstall for Office 2007.  I used a Microsoft easy fix tool to completely uninstall Office 2007 and clean up the machine's registry.

Look for Option 2 Download at:  Uninstall Office from a PC

The key to success is to get AD17 working first then install the 64-bit Access Database Engine as recommended for AD18.

That's it !

Parts Dark and Light Color Themes

The latest version of the Parts Frontend has dark and light color theme options.

Video on YouTube 

click on images to view

User Configuration Options




Microsoft Office Color Themes (Title Bar and Ribbon)

Access Runtime users can set the Microsoft Office Color Theme in the System Registry

• Office 2010: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\14.0\Common\Theme
• Office 2013: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\15.0\Common\UI Theme
• Office 2016: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\16.0\Common\UI Theme

Register Values

Office 2010 > Blue, Silver, Black (1,2,3)
Office 2013 > White, Light Gray, Dark Gray (0,1,2)
Office 2016 > Colorful, White (0,5)

That's it !

Remote Access

The Part Frontend application supports connections to Microsoft Access and MySQL.

Suggested reading: MS Access on a WAN? - Albert D. Kallal

MySQL is designed to work on a Wide Area Network (WAN).

Microsoft Access was designed to be used on a Local Area Network (LAN).
Microsoft Access should not be used across a Wide Area Network (WAN).

Remote MySQL

You can put a MySQL database on a remote server and connect the Parts Frontend to the remote database.

Related Link: See How to Create a Shared MySQL Database

Video Remote MySQL Database for Altium

Migrate to MySQL if you need to work remotely.

That's it.

Parts - Supplier Data

The Parts database was optimized for performance and speed. However if you can tolerate the reduced performance and have a fast internet connection you may want enable the supplier data options in Altium. See Bug Crunch #388: BOM Generation Takes Eternity

Note that using Supplier Solutions in the Bill of Materials and displaying Supplier Data in the Libraries Panel degrades performance as Altium searches the web for supplier data.

To view Supplier Details open the Part Backend and rename these two fields:

Supplier to Supplier 1 
Supplier Part Number to Supplier Part Number 1

See the Video:  YouTube (8 min)

Screen shot for database library with Supplier 1 and Supplier Part Number 1 fields.

click on images to view

Note, you may need to enable Parts Providers in DXP Preferences > Data Management.

That's it !

Parts - Temperature Coeff or Dielectric ?

Regarding: Temperature Coefficient and Dielectric

Take a P/N like GRM033R60J223KE01D

Go to Mouser and Digi-Key and look for Temperature Coeff and Dielectric 

Next, let's look at Murata's datasheet.

This is a case were either Mouser or Digi-key is wrong, so a choice has to be made.

So who is wrong, Digi-Key or Mouser ?  I think Mouser got it right. 

However I have also seen Temp Coefficients, like NPO, COG. 

Parts adopted the terminology found in Murata's datasheets.

That's it !

How to Create a Shared MySQL Database

You can deploy an Access or MySQL database on your company network behind a firewall and use the Parts Frontend to simplify your library maintenance.

Or you can use a an internet hosted solution, like Amazon RDS.

Parts is a scalable turnkey database library. You can start by using Microsoft Access for your backend database and migrate to MySQL if you need an enterprise solution.

You can install and setup MySQL on your own server or use an online hosting service, like A2 Hosting. or Amazon.

Related Links:

The Parts download includes scripts to create schemas and tables for MySQL.

How to make MySQL table name case insensitive in Ubuntu? - Stack Exchange

That's it !