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Learning how to use a new ECAD tool may seem daunting at first, especially with modern packages such as Altium Designer containing such a vast and rich feature set. However, once over the initial learning hurdle, the possibilities that tools such as Altium Designer can provide for you and your hardware designs are nearly endless. This quick-start tutorial, together with the accompanying video, will get you up and running in under 25 minutes –...

Non-functional pads are sometimes framed as an all-or-nothing debate, and the debates about reliability and effects on signal integrity abound. Should you keep them on your vias, or should you remove them from all vias? Like any design decision there are tradeoffs to balance, and typically one aspect of a design will take precedence over all others. Because there is no generalized rule about the use of non-functional pads, designers should...

The Library Importer (formerly Library Migrator) now has a new visual interface that allows you to easily import your existing libraries to the workspace. We improved MCAD CoDesigner with the 3.0 version, which now includes support for multi-board assemblies and other enhancements. You can now place generic components as placeholders that can be easily replaced with real-world components later in the design process. We added the ability to select...

You would not want to miss this informative, knowledge-packed conversation with Dr. Kunal Shah. Dr, Kunal generously gives us all a crash course on surface finishes and understanding different types of materials that could affect signal integrity, reliability and electronic shelf life. He will also tackle in detail the pros and cons of various types of nickel-free finishes. Watch this podcast episode now or listen on the go. Make sure to check...

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Beamforming is an important broadcast method that involves use of antenna arrays in a wireless system to transmit electromagnetic energy along a specific direction. More wireless systems are expanding their ability to handle multiple users (or targets) with beamforming and MIMO. This is already used in radar, WiFi, and in newer high-bandwidth communication systems (5G). For the systems designer, it is important to understand the layout...

High speed PCB design analysis is an admittedly broad area, comprising basic calculations of important design details, as well as simulations to verify a PCB layout. Some important evaluations are performed in the schematic, or at the very beginning of a design when a layout is being planned. These analysis techniques also have different levels of difficulty or advancement, and they will sometimes require an external program to fully evaluate the...

In electronics design, based on the requirements of the different applications in terms of characteristics and performance the components need to follow IEC standards or ANSI/IEEE standards. In Altium Designer, at library level it becomes very easy to define and use these standard graphical representations in the schematic design.

Components form the foundation of every electronics design, and the health of your libraries can make or break your project.  With Library Health Dashboard in Altium 365, you’ll always be on top of the wellbeing of your components with automatic checks for obsolescence, stock issues, footprint and symbol design errors, and more.