Nah it isn’t about challenge. It’s about correctness. Why risk potential errors when you can just have it generate you ASCII with exactly what you ask for, no ambiguity in determining whether a field is 100% what you thought it was. The Allegro and Capture formats are otherwise very very mean with alot of historical decisions carried along.
This has a hint on the data items in a OrCad Capture file. Jump to " Design Database Object Model".
It’s not the actual data structure but it at least shows you what’s in there uniquely.
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Just found this thread. I am one who is very interested in being able to load my OrCad work into KiCad somehow. My licensed version of OrCad is from 1998 so I will have to cross my fingers that the solution mentioned above integrates with an OrCad that old. Right now, the only export formats OrCad offers in my version is EDIF and DXF.
I’ll install Target 3001 (the new name for Fabmaster software) and try that. And the other suggestions here too.
In case you are willing to generate a lot of test files it is definetly possible to parse such an old format. Otherwise it’s hard because OrCAD is only provided in its latest software version and it’s difficult to find designs on the internet, generated with that particular version.
I have seen some ‘older’ designs (though I do not know from which exact version) that have at least the same file structure as todays files. You can figure out if the file uses the same CFBF container by building OpenOrCadParser and running ./OpenOrCadParser --input schematic.DSN --print_tree. If the output is a similar structure, then they use the same container. Alternatively you can send me a schematic file (an empty schematic is already enough) and I will check it.
Oh, well, in normal circumstances I would be very willing, however, atm, I’m planning on driving my RV south for the winter so I’ll be on the road for quite a while. So ‘breaking camp’ while dodging rain storms.
I’ll try to get some test files made up soon…between bursts of breaking camp activity.
PS: I installed Target 3001 and initially it had menu items for exporting in different types of formats but it asked me if I wanted to upgrade…which I did. And those menu items were not in the software afterwards.
Okay, attached is a simple OrCAD DSN file.
SERVO.DSN (68 KB)
No pressure. Have fun and enjoy your trip. 
Btw. I can verify that your schematic uses the same file container as the latest OrCAD versions. Therefore, I assume/hope, that the file structure is kind of similar.
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Yes, Capture has never changed file format, they only added some new features over time but that’s it. Capture will refuse to load newer versioned files but at the same time opens older ones no problem.
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