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Design Libraries
Component Symbol Information Management and Display Usability
Building a library of PCB components requires compiling information on footprint, electrical specifications, simulation models, pin arrangements, and other specifications. The amount of information in any component library is massive and needs to be aggregated into a single module in your PCB design software. A PCB component library should be flexible enough to allow designers and engineers to define proprietary components and implement the
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BOM Management Tools for PCB Manufacturing
Between the mid-1980s and late 1990s, Spy magazine published a monthly “Separated at Birth” column/pictorial that would pair two selected photos of unrelated celebrities, cartoon characters, or movie characters. The authors would then point out similar physical characteristics from each photo. Mentally picture a space alien from a popular movie paired with a sultry singer to gain some appreciation for their humor. Separated at Birth? Well… Kinda
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PCB Creator's Digital Library Management for Circuit Boards: More Than a Few Shelves
When you hear the word “components”, it’s natural to think about ICs, LEDs, resistors, and all the other electronic hardware that goes into building a PCB. But in terms of PCB design software, there is a lot of information that goes into any component. Every component has an associated symbol, footprint, pin arrangement, and other properties that are used by your PCB design software. With so many components available on the market and with
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Editing Multiple Components Anywhere in Footprint
Circuit board design has changed a lot over the years, and the way we work with library components has shifted as well. Originally, PCB designers created library components by laying down a sticker or “dolly” on a sheet of mylar on a drafting board. Later on, as designers migrated to CAD tools, the components were built using those same CAD tools. Those first tools didn’t offer much assistance to designers and you had to be really good at
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Coupled Versus Uncoupled Inductors Procurement: Which is Right for Your Switching Power Supply?
I recently took a deep dive into the various types of topologies surrounding switching power supplies. This article examined the benefits and downfalls of some of the most common topologies and aimed to assist you in the process of choosing how to power your design. The SEPIC topology is a very common switching mode power supply that can operate as both a Buck and a Boost converter. In other words, the SEPIC can act as a step-down (Buck converter
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7 Benefits of In-House Fabrication and Additive Manufacturing
If you are like 98% of the PCB designers out there, you know what it can be like to run through the gauntlet of outsourcing a design to a third-party manufacturer to receive a prototype or two. The process is usually a little painful, often pricier than you’d have hoped, and leaves you waiting for longer than you’d expect. I often think that the manufacturing process is similar to going out to dinner at an overrated restaurant; you’ll wait on an
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Creating Multiple-Part Symbols for a PCB in Altium Designer
How to create multi-part components and symbols in Altium Designer
®
. Build a symbol manually or use an advanced symbol generator to do the heavy lifting of symbol creation for you.
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Ease the Pain of Your PCB Supply Chain Management with Intuitive Design Tools
Have you ever been writing something and can’t figure out how to spell a word so you rephrase the entire sentence in order to use a different word? As much as replacing a word can kill your creativity in writing, it is much worse when you have to replace a component while designing electronic circuits. It happens a lot though when you aren’t connected to your supply chain management design. Problems like these can kill your creativity and cause
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Soothe PCB Schematic Library Management Pains with Straightforward Software
Outdated schematic library management processes cause a large bottleneck for the design group. These processes are often based on tools that are not up-to-date with current design methodologies and technologies and are therefore limited in what they can do. In the same way that a compact car isn’t going to be able to pull a heavy trailer, using an outdated library management system isn’t going to be able to handle the heavy work-load either
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Ducks in a Row: Process Control and Document Traceability in One Place
Louis Pasteur captured the essence of complicated endeavors when he stated that “fortune favors the prepared mind.” Don’t miss opportunities for excellence when faced with complex tasks. Designing and building printed circuit boards and their assemblies is a complex task, made up of many meticulous endeavors. You could say that unified PCA documentation and communication favors successful outcomes when building products. Document types and
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Collecting All the Pieces You Need: What is a Bill of Materials?
On a cold and rainy Saturday afternoon with small children, of course you’ll start to panic a bit to figure out what kind of antics you can get them into without causing too much trouble. So, I turned to drawing. We arranged crayons and paper on the dining room table and I began to draft a simple periscope. I outlined each part of the periscope and placed a letter alongside—my engineer was showing. Completed, I showed it to the kids and asked if
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How Integrated PCB Libraries Can Lower Development Costs
Editorial credit: MikeDotta / Shutterstock.com I’m pretty stubborn when it comes to developing new recipes for my kid. Just last week, I insisted on preparing the bolognese sauce from scratch as I tried to whip up a decent pasta dish. I ended up taking more time than I should have, as my son grew in frustration and hunger by the minute. That’s when I decided to just buy off-the-shelf pasta sauce next time. When I started working on electronics, I
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BOM Planning: Different Levels of Production
There is one really great thing about social media and that is catching up with old friends. I connected with a high school friend who did a lot in his life including some great achievements in the world of Taekwondo. He talks about the different tournaments that he attends, the people that he associates with, and how he has progressed through the different levels of this discipline. There appears to be a lot more to Taekwondo than I would have
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Unifying a Comprehensive Collection: PCB Library Management
Remodeling my kitchen was a project long overdue. I made a mental list of the materials I would need, such as appliances, cabinetry, countertops, flooring, and paint. Eagerly I drove to the local discount warehouse to peruse the materials. I sat with the store clerk making plans and quickly realized I’d need more than a few mental notes to stay organized. Keeping track of individual tasks within any big project is a chore if you don’t have a
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Add Any Component to Your Design With Unified PCB Component Libraries
When embarking on the PCB design journey, there are some initial hurdles you’ll need to overcome in order to get your design process running smoothly and without interruption. Sometimes the hurdle is as manageable as making sure you get your coffee in the morning. Sometimes the hurdle is as tall as not having the knowledge, comfort, or software you need to accomplish your design tasks. Oftentimes, when sketching out an initial PCB design, there
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Automating Your BOM System for PCB CAD Library Quality and Compliance
Some years back I was helping my son organize his finances, and he was explaining to me how he didn’t need to track anything because all of that information was available to him online. The benefits that online banking provides are fantastic for sure, but they don’t quite cover everything. I asked him how he was tracking the checks that he had written which hadn’t cleared yet, and he dismissed me with a wave of his hand. These days, after several
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Remote BOM Access Makes Work as Easy as Hitting a Button
It seems like you can’t purchase any electronic device anymore without it coming with a remote control. TVs, radios, and computers all have them, and you can even find them on fireplaces and air conditioners. This is not a complaint, I love having the ability to control things remotely. I have enough years behind me that I remember having to get up and walk over to the TV to change the channel. In my opinion the more remote control the better off
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