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Explore content from blog posts to technical white papers gathered together for your convenience. All written by Altium's community of PCB design experts.

The Positive Impact of Supply Chain Visibility on Design to Cost To learn more about this topic please see the full solution - The Positive Impact of Supply Chain Visibility on Design to Cost - at Altium.com. Download PDF

Why Version Control Should Be Implemented in Your PCB Design Software Everyone’s worst nightmare - the blue screen of death! Getting back into the flow after a business trip is never easy, but my return this week has been particularly challenging. We have a time critical contract with our client, so everyone on the project is operating at >100%. I was staying on track until I opened my Board design software and saw that someone had made changes to my layout. They removed two of the four tines from my smart fork Read Article

Mechanical Design and 3D Modeling Assists With PCB Design In Embedded Systems When I was in college, we electrical engineers (EEs) always looked down our noses at the mechanical engineers (MEs). Our department had an introduction to electrical engineering class for the MEs (with a full fledged 3D printer), which we referred to as “shocks for jocks.” It’s a bit sad that the mechanical nerds were “jocks” to us. The rivalry between electrical and mechanical engineering often continues after university and plays out in the Read Article

Using Cans for EMI Shielding on Your PCB Make sure your can has enough clearance from the components it’s shielding. Preventing electromagnetic interference is critical for proper functioning of your PCB design. In addition to good design practices, can shields can also be used to isolate sensitive components. Did you ever play Operation? The game where you had to fish little pieces out of an awkward looking body without touching the edges of the slot. When you hit an edge, your failure Read Article

4:53 RC2 - Success Story Watch Video

The Implications of Growing Automotive PCB Market Shares for PCB Designers Luxury used to mean heated seats, now it means a self-driving car with a 17” LED display in the dashboard. With automotive PCB gaining market share, the modern should start thinking about how their designs can enable essential and luxury features in connected cars. They should also get ready to learn cutting edge design techniques such as rigid-flex and HDI in order to meet automotive requirements. Do you remember the “dynamic duo” days they used Read Article

Hyperloop Shows How Crowdsourcing Integrates Community into PCB Design & Prototyping Earlier this year, student design teams gathered to participate in Hyperloop’s largest design competition yet. Their goal? To create a prototype high-speed vehicle for next-generation transportation. Through this unique strategy, Hyperloop brings a compelling example of crowdsourcing at work. Crowdsourcing also stands to impact the PCB design space, providing new routes to project development and prototyping. Through combined efforts, cost Read Article

1:12 Object Specific Keepouts - Features Watch Video

1:04 DRC Flexibility - Features Watch Video

Essential PCB Design - Power Delivery Network Analysis What’s that burning smell? Hopefully not your prototype. Try Altium's PDN Analysis Tool to easily find and prevent issues with your power delivery network. I once foolishly decided I would try my hand at woodworking. I thought I would start with something easy, you know, like a rocking chair. With my limited knowledge of structures and statics, I successfully made a chair that broke into pieces as soon as I sat down. The YouTube tutorials I used Read Article

Impacts of Design Miniaturization and Complexity Since they’ve been created, electronics have been getting smaller, faster, and more efficient. But when you try to cram more components, pins, and connections in a smaller sized board, you’re going to have some problems. These challenges include heat, BGA breakouts and size itself, meaning how are you going to fit your board in that small, oddly shaped enclosure. Here are a few quick stats: Board area has remained relatively constant, while the Read Article

Three Dumb Internet of Things Devices Using Smart PCB Designs Sometimes the fork is not in the road. With the advent of the Internet of Things (IoT), I’m afraid that Skynet is just on the horizon. Myriads of everyday items are being imbued with the gift of “intelligence.” The only comfort I have is that many IoT “smart” devices are so useless that there’s no way they could take over the world. There are three devices in particular that put Skynet class PCBs into items that should have stayed dumb. These Read Article

The Best Static Analysis Tool For Developing Autonomous Vehicle Software If only it were this easy. Designers often focus on benchmarking their compiler, only to have their programs slowed down by safety considerations later. Using a compiler that has integrated safety features, especially static analysis tools, can get your program into ISO 26262 compliance quickly. Using a safety tool with great static analysis can save you time in debugging, keep you from cutting features, and allow you to get the most out of your Read Article

Choosing the Best Communication Configuration for Your IoT Device Network Not planning your IoT system communication adds cost and adventure to installing your products. It’s all set, you have perfected the design of the latest state-of-the-art IoT fork and you’re feeling unstoppable. Nothing could throw a wrench in your plans now...except maybe your fork's network connection. What’s the difference between a smart fork that can't connect and an ordinary fork? You paid a lot more for the smart one! That’s why it’s Read Article

3:35 Geolux - Success Story Watch Video

Flexible Future: The Industries That Are Forcing You To Learn Rigid Flex PCB Design Do you ever feel like time is a passing a little more quickly than it should? It seems like just yesterday I was growling in frustration as I learned how to use dial-up internet. Now I growl in frustration as I attempt to figure out how to set up my state-of-the-art broadband router. It seems like as soon as I master the current technology, it’s time for the next big thing and I have to start all over again. Well my PCB friends, it’s time for you Read Article

3 Electronic Devices Whose Concepts Preceded PCB Design Capabilities All things that old were once new, but not all things new were once old. There are, however, a few notable exceptions. Apple’s Macintosh Portable, Oakley’s Thump MP3 sunglasses, and Nintendo’s Virtual Boy were all devices that predicted the future. Unfortunately, these precursors weren’t very practical. Let’s look at how these devices shot for the stars and broke apart during liftoff. Do you ever accidentally find old electronic devices while Read Article