Getting Started
Accounts, Installations, and Training Courses
This page will walk you through all the steps necessary to access Cadence's software in whichever way works best for you. It'll guide you step-by-step through creating the necessary accounts, downloading the right software, accessing software remotely, and getting started with training courses on Cadence's Academic Network.
Cadence Academic Network
Creating an Account
To start, you'll want to go to the CCIT page for Cadence. Here, complete the form linked under "Request a Cadence License". This will begin the process for CCIT to work with Cadence in creating you an account with access to the software downloads and training courses that's needed to work with the Cadence software.
Since the Cadence University Program partnership was rolled out to Clemson at the beginning of the Spring 2023 semester, it's possible that an account has already been created for your username, or that you created one yourself when emails were initially sent out regarding the partnership in January of 2023. It may be beneficial to attempt to login to the Cadence Support site or create an account there using your Clemson email address before requesting access on the CCIT page.
On the request form, put Dr. Tao Wei's name and contact in as the information for faculty advisior. Additionally, make sure to specify the OrCAD and Allegro software, and to check the box to request access to the online education and training resources.
It may take up to two weeks for the request to be processed, but we'll try to make sure that you get a response within a day or two.
Once your account has been set up, you'll receive an email from someone at Cadence informing you that the signup process has been started and informing you of your login email address (which will be your Clemson email address). Additionally, you'll get an automated email from Cadence letting you know that your account has been registered. This email will provide you with a temporary password for your account. Please login with your Clemson email and this password immediately and change your password to something new. Should you not receive the expected response within one week of submitting the form, please feel free to contact the CCIT for assistance.
Now, you should be able to login and access the Cadence Support home page. This is the site that we'll be using to access the software downloads and the training courses.
Cadence Lab (Riggs B22H)
Effortlessly use Cadence software in our Cadence-sponsored Lab, equipped with 15 high-end computers, all pre-installed with Cadence design tools for PCB design.
Make sure you visit this beautiful Lab!
Software Downloads
Before you begin the process of installing any software, please note the minimum and recommended system requirements for the OrCAD/Allegro software, as it's a pretty big installation. Make sure that you're installing the software onto a Windows 10 or 11 operating system, and that your machine has at least an i7 or Ryzen 7 processor with at least 4 cores, 16GB of RAM or more, a dedicated graphics processor, and 50GB of free disk space (~500GB on an SSD is recommended and will greatly speed up your installation process).
Cisco AnyConnect
The first software you'll want to install is the Cisco AnyConnect VPN. This will allow you to remotely log on to the Clemson network, which is necessary to access the license server for Cadence softwares when you're not physically on campus. The installation for this software is located on the CCIT page. The link provided on the CCIT page will redirect you to the Clemson CUVPN site. You'll need to log in with your Clemson credentials and complete a two-factor authentication. Upon login, you should see the following page.
Expand the "Instructions" section to view all the steps for installing the VPN, then hit "Download for Windows" and begin the installation process. Once the software is done installing, launch the Cisco AnyConnect app. You'll want to connect to "cuvpn.clemson.edu". You'll be prompted to log in - use your Clemson username, password, and then type "push" in the third field in order to get the two-factor authentication sent to your Duo app.
Now, you should be connected to the Clemson network! You'll have to launch the VPN and connect whenever you want to launch Cadence software on your machine from home, as connection to the Clemson network is necessary to access the Cadence licensing server that's set up on Clemson campus.
OrCAD and Allegro
OrCAD and Allegro are the two most fundamental Cadence softwares. OrCAD Capture is used to create schematics and design parts and circuit elements, and Allegro PCB Editor takes this information and allows you to design your own printed circuit boards for manufacturing.
To download this software, you'll need to go log onto the Cadence Support home page, then navigate to Software > Download Software in order to get to their software downloads page. In the search bar, search "OrCAD". You should get the 22.1 and 17.4 released in your search results. We're going to click on the 22.1 release - the most recent software release for OrCAD/Allegro. Once you've gone to the 22.1 release, you'll have two different options for installation. You could install the download manager and download the software from there, or you could download the .zip files for the software and the hotfix. We're going to go with the first option, since it's much more straight-forward and user-friendly.
Once downloaded, go to your downloads folder and right-click on the executable for the download manager. Select "Run as Administrator" and then select "Yes" when the pop-up asks if you'd like to allow the software to make changes to your device. When the installer runs, select "Agree", then hit "Next". On the second screen, select the file path for the installation of the download manager - I just chose the default. Hit "Next". Lastly, check the boxes to create a shortcut (if you'd like) and to run the application once it's finished installing. Hit "Finish".
The download manager should install pretty quickly - usually in under a minute. Once the download manager finishes installing, it'll run automatically. Once in the app, scroll down to the "OrCAD and Allegro" option. Make sure that it's set to the 22.1 or most recent release.
NOTE: For now, please be sure that you’ve downloaded v17.4 and NOT v22.1, as students don’t have access to that yet. It’s possible that v22.1 might be approved for students during the Fall 2023 Semester OR Spring 2024, but TBD, as Cadence will update us.
Before you hit "Install", please note that this installation takes a long time. The download manager app has to download about 13GB of compressed zip files from Cadence, unpack these, then install. Make sure that you can leave your computer on/charging for this amount of time and that you have a fast, stable internet connect. When you're ready, hit "Install".
It should take 10-15 minutes for the download manager to download all of the installation files from Cadence's website. After it has downloaded everything it needs, it'll prompt you to either install now, or install later. This is your chance to make sure you're going to have enough time to leave your computer idle while the installation occurs.
If you're ready to start installing, click "Install Now". This will begin the installation process of the OrCAD and Allegro software, and it should open up the installation wizard for the software. On the first page on the installation wizard, select "I Accept", then click "Next". On the second page, make sure to select "Anyone who uses this computer (all users)", and check the boxes to install both the OrCAD Products and Allegro Products. You can also specify your installation path for the software here. I just left it on it's default settings, which puts it in a Cadence folder on my main drive. Click "Next".
This last screen is the most important, since messing up the license file settings will prevent you from accessing any and all of the software you're installing. The license server we're using as "license8.clemson.edu" located at port 28070. Select "Connect to an Existing License Server", and put this information into the fields below. When you're done, hit "Install". It'll now begin installing the OrCAD and Allegro softwares, which may take anywhere between 40 minutes to 2 hours, depending on the type of hard drive or SSD you have on your computer.
Note that when installing, there won't be a progress bar in the download manager software, but there should be a few icons for the download manager that appear on your desktop toolbar. You won't be able to open these into an application window, but DO NOT close these processes, as they're what's installing the software. One of them should have a green progress bar on the icon so that you can track the installation process.
Once the software finishes installing, you should be all set! Hit the windows key and search "Capture CIS" and "Allegro" to make sure everything is installed. It should look something like the following:
When you're ready, you can go ahead and launch your new software. Remember: you must be connected to the CUVPN or on the Clemson campus network to be able to use this software. Otherwise, you'll get an error saying that the license file was not found or couldn't be accessed. Additionally, the first time you run OrCAD or Allegro, it'll prompt you to select a product. For Capture CIS 2022, select the "Allegro PCB Design CIS L" option, and for Allegro PCB Editor 2022, select the "Allegro PCB Venture" option and check the box for "Use as default". If you have a need to, you can always change to a different product by going to File > Change Product... within either of the applications.
After you've verified your installations, you're all set to start using the Capture and PCB Editor software. I highly recommend going to the Training Courses section of this page and signing up for a few of the introductory courses for OrCAD Capture and Allegro PCB so that you can learn some basic skills, get a feel for using the applications, and start collecting some badges!
Remote Access using CUApps
If you're not sure that your computer meets the specifications for Cadence's software or if you don't want to have to install the apps onto your harddrive, you can also access Cadence's OrCAD/Allegro Capture and PCB Editor softwares remotely using CUapps. CUapps gives you a virtual connection to the software running off of one of Clemson's computers, making it so that your own computer doesn't have to have the software installed or running. Be aware, however, that using the software may be a bit slower while using CUapps due to latency in the connection between your machine and Clemson's machine.
To use CUapps, you can either download the Citrix Workspace desktop application by following the linked CCIT instructions, or you can access CUapps online in your web browser. While in CUapps, click the "Apps" icon at the top of the window and then scroll down to find the app you wish to use. From the Cadence suite, you'll have access to Capture CIS 2022, which is used primarily for schematic and circuit design, Allegro PCB Editor, which is used for printed circuit board design, as well as the Cadence Help 2022 and the Cadence OrCAD and Allegro Tutorials 2022 which can be used for troubleshooting and basic help using the apps.
Using the Palmetto Cluster
Some Cadence softwares, like Genus and Xcelium, are Linux-based applications. Clemson has installed these softwares onto the Palmetto Cluster high-powered computing machine so that they can be accessed remotely and can utilize the full power of this HPC machine. To use these applications, you'll have to setup an account for the Palmetto Cluster. If you'd like, you can read more about what the Palmetto Cluster is here.
Account Setup
Requesting and setting up an account for Palmetto is fairly straight forward. They provide a guide to requesting account on their site. Read through the instructions here, and go to the provided link to fill out the account request form.
When you click this link, you'll be prompted to log-in with your Clemson credentials, and then redirected to the CCIT website. Wait a few seconds, and the form to request an account will load onto your screen. On the form, fill in your name, Clemson user ID, Clemson email address, and major. For primary affiliation, put "student". Under Account Type, put "Educational", and then fill in Dr. Tao Wei's email, twei2@clemson.edu, as the Sponsor/Adviser's Email. In the text box for a description of your research abstract, write something like "I will be using Palmetto to access the linux-based Cadence applications for circuit and logic design. I hope to utilize the Cadence software to further my knowledge and skills of circuit and logic design.".
Next, you'll complete the usage questionnaire questions. On question 1, select "Yes" that you will be using existing software applications, then check "Other" and write "Cadence" in the textbox that appears. On question 2, select "No/Unsure", and leave question 2.5's checkboxes blank. On question 3, select "Yes", then check the boxes for "Mostly interactive jobs" and "Jobs using GPGPUs (General-Purpose computing using Graphics Processing Units)". For question 4, you can select that you'll be receiving start-up instructions from your class/workshop, or you can choose to attend an on-boarding session or make an appointment with CCIT if you'd like to receive more comprehensive training on use of the Palmetto cluster. After you've filled out the form, click "Save" in the top left corner to submit your CCIT ticket.
It usually takes a day or two for your request to get processed, so you won't have access to Palmetto right away after submitting the form. Continue to check your email frequently for confirmation and updates, and I recommend attempting to access the Palmetto OnDemand site to see if your account has been set up, as sometimes your account might be given access before you get a confirmation email. Note that since the Palmetto Cluster machine isn't set up on Clemson's campus network, you'll have to complete a Duo authentication whenever you want to access it - even if you're on the CUVPN or Clemson campus network. More comprehensive information on getting started with the Palmetto Cluster is located on their documentation site.
I highly suggest completing an onboarding training session to get comfortable with using Palmetto before moving forward, and it's a great idea to read through the documentation site to better understand what Palmetto is, how it works, and how to use it properly.
Using Palmetto
For most uses, the Palmetto cluster is accessed with a command line interface or different programming IDEs, but we need a graphical interface so that we can run our specific Cadence applications. There are a couple ways to do this, but we're going to focus on the method using the Palmetto Desktop, since it's the most accessible and easiest to use and configure. To get some more in-depth information about the different ways to access graphical software on Palmetto, you can read the documentation here.
To use the Palmetto Desktop, all you have to do is go to the Palmetto OnDemand site, click "Interactive Apps", and select the "Palmetto Desktop" option. For more information on Palmetto OnDemand, you can read the documentation here. More in-depth information on the Palmetto Desktop is also located on the Palmetto Documentation site here.
Configure the Palmetto Desktop using all the defaults, but make sure to change "Wall Time" to the amount of time that you anticipate to be using the application for during this particular session.
Accessing Cadence Applications
Once you're in the Palmetto Desktop, open up a terminal. From here, you can type "module load cadence/[software name]" to load in the Genus21, Xcelium22, Sigrity22, or Stratus21 software.
This is about as far as I've gotten towards using these tool, but please check out Cadence's training courses for more information on using the Genus, Xcelium, Sigrity, and Stratus software from the Linux operating system.
More information will be added soon regarding use of this software. This section of the page is a work in progress.
Training Courses
Learning Map
The first step towards gaining training experience with Cadence's tools is figuring out what your goals are and what kind of tools you'd actually like to work with. Take a look at Cadence's Learning Maps to get an idea of what paths are available for you to explore.
For circuit and PCB design, the best place to start is on the PCB Design and Analysis page. The Logic Design and the PCB Design paths are both great for getting experience with general circuit and PCB design skills and techniques, and I'd recommend beginning with the Allegro Design Entry Using OrCAD Capture and the Allegro PCB Editor Basic Techniques courses.
Training Dashboard
The next step is to add training courses to your training dashboard so that you can begin working through them. The easiest way to do this is from the Learning Map document itself. Each course should be hyperlinked so that if you click on its name, it'll redirect you to the Cadence page for that course. From here, you can log in to your Cadence account and add the course. Choose "Online Course", and then select "Enroll" next to the number of the software release which you are using (22.1 for OrCAD and Allegro).
To access your training dashboard, go back to the Cadence Support home page, then select Learning > Training Dashboard from the top banner menu. Your training dashboard will show you all of the courses you are currently enrolled in, and will allow you to select a course to go to its page and resume your training.
From the Learning tab on the Cadence Support page, you can also select Online Courses or Training Catalog to go to a page where you can more easily search for and enroll into courses.
Once you have some courses added to your training dashboard, you're ready to get started with your training! Also, feel free to explore this Learning section of the Cadence Support site more, as you can find different tools that will help you track your progress in your courses, view any badges you've received, and look at your training stats for different courses.
Starting Training Courses
Once you've found a training course that you'd like to start, just click on the course's icon on your training dashboard. This should open up the course's page, where you can view your progress in completing the different course materials, and it should also open up a pop-up window for the course's training modules. If this is the first time you're beginning a Cadence training course, you will have to complete a license agreement. Additionally, if it's your first time starting a specific course, it may take you to a page containing information about the course, where you can select "Start Course" to begin working on the training modules.
All of the course's content is in the learning modules. Here's where you'll have your lesson videos, demos, and lab assignments for learning and practicing with the different Cadence tools. One thing that is very important is to scroll down to the bottom of the first module, usually titled Module 01: About this Course, and click on the "Database Download" button. This will scroll down to another page with different download buttons. Find and click the "Lab Database" button to download all of the lab materials that you'll need for the course. This will download a .zip file containing the demo files and directories you'll be using to create designs for the course. Open up File Explorer on your computer and go to Downloads. Right click on the .zip folder which you just downloaded and click "Extract All...", and then choose a directory to extract the files to. I recommend saving them into the Cadence directory that holds your Cadence software downloads, and then in a new folder in there titled with the name of the course. Hit "Extract" and then wait for your files to extract, which may take a minute.
Amplify Your Visibility
Finally, you should have everything you need to get started with your training course. Generally, the first module or two will walk you through the process of setting up your software, configuring your environment, using your lab files, and exploring the different features of the tool which you're using for the training. While going through the modules for the training course, I recommend paying extra attention to the different lab assignment and complete all of these lab activities. The labs usually re-hash all of the topics covered in any lecture or demo videos, but they give you hands-on practice with navigating and using the software tools. I found them to be the most helpful and informative parts of the courses that I've completed so far.
With your first course started, you should be all set to rolling on training for different topics and tools. Moving forward, we're going to include some guides on this website that will help walk you through the different training courses and provide tips for completion and highlight some of the more important information from each course. Make sure to check back for updates to this site that could help you get more acquainted with Cadence!
Looking to boost the recognition of your newly acquired badge across Cadence's vast network? Take advantage of this incredible opportunity by posting your badge to your LinkedIn profile and connecting with David Haeussler (https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-haeussler-559392). Once you've received your badge, let Dave know, and he will gladly repost your digital badge to help maximize its visibility. Don't miss out on this chance to amplify your badge's reach and showcase your accomplishments to a wider audience!
Potential License Error
In case you encounter an error indicating that the license server is unreachable (as displayed in the image below), please double-check and make sure that you are on Clemson VPN. If it does not solve the problem, please report it to CCIT as soon as possible (send IT issues directly to ITHELP@clemson.edu with the subject line "CECAS CORE" to ensure the fastest response). It is possible that the Clemson server hosting the floating license is offline. The CCIT team has a reputation for being highly responsive and capable of swiftly resolving issues related to the license server.
If you come across these license errors (displayed below), please make sure that you are using version 17.4.
