| Author |
 Topic  |
|
|
Iain Wilkie
United Kingdom
1015 Posts |
 Posted - 13 Nov 2012 : 20:58:25
|
We have a situation where perhaps 3 engineers will be working on one project. They have access to all of the pcb project files, however only one engineer would ever be working on the design at a time. These 3 engineers do not share a common network.
My question is .... Is there some way of automatically creating revision referencies that would be generated when one engineer is finished and the files are available for another to take over, so everyone knows the latest files. What can happen at the moment is someone could forget to manually update the revision reference or even post an older revision of a design as being the latest by mistake and cause lots of problems.
Anybody else been here ? And anybody any idea how to handle this ?
Iain |
|
|
DavidM
United Kingdom
458 Posts |
Posted - 14 Nov 2012 : 11:15:02
|
Iain,
It sounds like you need to consider some kind of simple version control system. That would take care of storing the master copies of files, booking them out to be changed by only one engineer at a time, recording them being booked back in, etc.
If this sounds like what you wish to do, then perhaps the difficult word here is 'simple', as in 'simple version control system'. There are various open source systems available, these are largely targetted at code and web developers rather than users of 'application' software. I know that we have customers who use CVS for example, but how easy that is to set up and manage I don't know. We use our own internally-developed control system for our source code so I don't have any experience at setting up any of the packages that are out there.
The only bit I am not clear about is what you describe as 'revision references'. If this means changing something inside the design files themselves, then that is a different prospect, and is not something that could really be done as there is no way to poke values in the design files from outside the Easy-PC application.
David
|
 |
|
|
davep
United Kingdom
101 Posts |
Posted - 14 Nov 2012 : 11:39:45
|
I add the Value Position 'Save date' on my schematics.
This provides a rough indication of changes to the circuit during the design process and allows me to check versions on backup drives.
This is in addition to the formal issue number which is just text.
|
|
|
|
Iain Wilkie
United Kingdom
1015 Posts |
Posted - 14 Nov 2012 : 13:05:44
|
Hi Dave/David,
Thanks for all that, and you are absolutlely right about finding a "simple" solution to this.
The ideal would be if EasyPC could generate this internally, maybe something for the programmers to think about. I am looking at this along with particular client who is now delving into what is available and easy to use.
I will pass your comments onto them.
Thanks again
Iain
|
Edited by - Iain Wilkie on 14 Nov 2012 13:07:01 |
|
|
|
robhardy
United Kingdom
55 Posts |
Posted - 14 Nov 2012 : 16:04:39
|
Iain
Its not quite the same but I use different computers to do my work on.
It is complicated by the main data been on a company server, which I do not have RAS for, so I sync my main PC to the server and then store my data on my hotmail skydrive, which becomes in effect my server.
This means as long as I have an internet connection I can have access the files from any pc, which is synced to the skydrive. Obviously since I am the only user and I cannot be in two places at once, then I know no one else is accessing the files.
on Vista, windows 7 and I assume windows 8, your drive actually can have the files stored local on your own drive so you can still work when you do not have internet, it automatically synchronizes when you have connection. This is done with a simple app.
so now whilst I am sitting at Oslo Airport I can work on my laptop, syncing to skydrive using my 2 hr free wifi, when it runs out it will sync my sky drive automaticaly when I reconnected.
The difficulty here is recording the last access or remembering to record the last access.
Giving access to at hotmail account for several users may not be wise but other free products are availiable. |
|
|
|
Iain Wilkie
United Kingdom
1015 Posts |
Posted - 14 Nov 2012 : 17:46:27
|
quote:
Originally posted by DavidM
Iain,
The only bit I am not clear about is what you describe as 'revision references'. If this means changing something inside the design files themselves, then that is a different prospect, and is not something that could really be done as there is no way to poke values in the design files from outside the Easy-PC application.
David
David, would it be possible for this to be a feature within EasyPC, i.e. there could be a "finalise" utility, where one could enter or increment a revision letter or number that would then be applied automatically across the whole project appending or changing this revision information to the schematics and pcb file that will now distinguish this block of project files as a complete new version ??
Iain
|
|
|
|
Benno
Netherlands
79 Posts |
Posted - 15 Nov 2012 : 23:17:14
|
you could look at using svn. You can setup svn to lock the files so you need to unlock them to work on them.
VisualSVN server (visualsvn.com) is a free windows server, that is very easy to setup. Tortoise SVN is a plugin for windows explorer that you can use as a client. If you host the server at a location that can be reached via Internet, all users that have internet access can get the files.
I never used it with EasyPC myself, but use it for source control and document management a lot, even with developers in other countries.
|
|
|
|
Iain Wilkie
United Kingdom
1015 Posts |
Posted - 16 Nov 2012 : 10:36:06
|
Benno/robhardy,
Thanks guys for your inputs on this subject. However all I really need is as explained to David at Numberone ....
"would it be possible for this to be a feature within EasyPC, i.e. there could be a "finalise" utility, where one could enter or increment a revision letter or number that would then be applied automatically across the whole project appending or changing this revision information to the schematics and pcb file that will now distinguish this block of project files as a complete new version ??".
Peter at Number one has logged this as a top priorty on the wish list !
Cheers
Iain
|
|
|
| |
Topic |
|
Tracking Design Revisions