Managed Libraries

The user switches Proteus into managed mode via a System setting. When picking parts this by default disables web import and restricts parts that can be picked to the set of managed libraries distributed by the librarian.

When parts are placed on the schematic any properties that the librarian has set to be managed (e.g. package, supplier, cost) will be read only on the schematic. This prevents locally placed components diverging from the managed libraries wherever it is deemed important by the librarian.

Users can optionally still make parts (or disable the picker filter and use web import) into their own libraries. This allows them to easily submit parts to the librarian for approval or to work on a prototype design while parts are being approved. The review and audit tools provide a failsafe and can be used to detect unmanaged parts in use before a production run.

The librarian is responsible for creating, maintaining and releasing the managed libraries inside the library manager module. This role can be filled equally well by the user on a single copy of Proteus as it is by a different person on a dedicated machine in an enterprise setup.

Libraries can be versioned in one of two ways. The first is a manual versioning where the librarian simply sets a version number for the library as part of the release process. The second is to version the libraries using external repositories and the commit logs and hash/revision numbers will then be automatically imported back into Proteus as part of the library release process. One advantage of the repository method is that versioning is part specific as opposed to the manual method in which the entire library is versioned during release.

The reviewer is responsible for checking that the latest version of the library parts are present in the design. Normally, this would be as part of an engineering change or a board revision and the Manage Changes dialogue form will both display placed parts that diverge from the current libraries and allow a single click update/replace for each such part.

Another unwanted situation in the managed workflow is that unmanaged parts exist on the schematic/layout before a production run. This is almost certainly not intended and a dedicated test in the pre-production check will both warn and detail offending parts for manual replacement.