Applied Parameters: ContextSensitive=True
Summary
For the component under the cursor, this command is used to choose an 'Alternate Part' for that component in the chosen variant of the design. This allows you to specify a component to be used for that variant that is entirely different to that used in the base design.
Access
This command is accessed in the Schematic Editor. With a defined variant chosen and the compiled document view active, right-click over a placed component then choose the Part Actions » Choose Alternate Part command from the context menu.
Variants defined for a project will be shown in the
Projects panel under the
Variants folder along with the base design (
[No Variations]). Double-click on an entry to make it the active variant.
Use
After launching the command, the Edit Component Variation dialog will open. Use the dialog to browse and locate the required alternate part component. All of Altium NEXUS's component storage models are supported, such as independent libraries, database libraries and server components.
After selecting an alternate part, the software checks for pin-compatibility between the chosen alternate component and the original base design component. To be pin-compatible, the alternate must have the same number of pins as the original component, and those pins must be identical in their location and electrical type. No equality in the graphical primitives used in the symbols for the two components is required. If the software detects that the alternate component is not pin-compatible, a Confirm dialog will open requiring OK to proceed with the replacement. While you can proceed with the use of a pin-incompatible alternate component, keep in mind the potential impact on the wiring and that you also may encounter an error violation when performing a subsequent compilation of the design.
You can check the chosen alternate component in the workspace. The Schematic Editor will use the symbol graphics for the chosen alternate component. If the component is pin-compatible and graphically similar, you should see very little change. The tell-tale sign for the use of a different component is the different comment for the alternate part.
Tips
- If an alternate component is not already used elsewhere in the design, the symbol graphics for the alternate component are stored in a dedicated file -
<ProjectName>.PrjPcbVariants
. This file is stored in the same location as the project file. Parameters changes for the alternate components are defined in the Variant Management dialog and saved in the project file. Using the .PrjPcbVariants
file keeps the project independent from the source libraries that were used to create the design.
- If a base component uses a graphical display mode other than the default
Normal
and it has an alternate component defined in a variant, the alternate component will also attempt to use the same graphical display mode. If the alternate component does not include this graphical display mode, then the Normal
mode is used.