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It is a very common misconception for beginners (and even some experienced) board designers to just push the “buttons” or menu “commands” in the software for outputting fabrication & assembly data. However, there are set-ups that have to be done before you can use those buttons and commands. (Altium Designer® commands highlighted in RED below.) While there are many ways to develop documentation for a board, it is important to realize the need to...

There Are Lots of I’s in The Word Team The old adage is there is no “i” in the word team. But, in reality, there are a lot of “I’s”—interface, interaction, intercommunication and integration to name a few. In today’s global supply chain (I use the acronym GSC) economy, product development rarely, if ever, rests with just a handful of individuals or even a handful of companies. In the highly competitive electronics market sector, there are...

Why is a 4-layer Rigid Flex Less Expensive than 3-layer Rigid Flex? Designing flex and rigid-flex can be tricky. Not only do you need to design for a product that will bend, fold and flex, you are working with different materials and fabrication processes. Plusm it is difficult to clearly communicate how the part should flex in final application. Typically, the goal is to use the most cost-effective stack up that meets both your electrical and...

As flat organizations become more popular so do the methods and processes that come along with them. This blog discusses not the flat organizational structure itself but how a flat organization functions within the project management arena. The principles of project management learned from a flat organization can be adopted in the flattest companies to the most hierarchically structured organizations. Being “flat” is hip but why should I do...

Today, there is a plethora of changes emerging in product development. In these next few blog posts, we’ll focus on one of them: agile practices on hardware design. As traditional products become more complicated, many engineering firms have been adopting methods to increase productivity and streamline the development process. More software and electronic components are going into mechanical products than ever before, and efficiency is key to...

This week we have a new podcast and a special promotion going on as well. Read on for details. The OnTrack Podcast with Judy Warner What does it mean, it’s all about the space? Tune in to hear AltiumLive speaker Dan Beeker talk about his keynote topic, “It’s all about the space”. A student of Rick Hartley and Ralph Morrison, Dan is eager to share the behaviors and nuances of the electromagnetic field. Listen in to learn. You can also listen...

  Our guest today is Dan Beeker, Senior Principal Engineer at NXP Semiconductors, who is well known for addressing EMC and signal integrity in a fresh way. Dan has presented twice as a Keynote Speaker at AltiumLive, both in San Diego and Munich. The information shared in this talk is extremely practical and valuable. Listen in, this information will impact the designs you do every day! Remember, it’s “all about the space”. Listen to the Podcast...

One of our favorite things to do here at Altium is to support entrepreneurs and their innovative startup companies by equipping them with our PCB design tools. Orbit Fab is one such company. In this article, partners Daniel Faber and Jeremy Schiel share their vision for the future of space and the critical need for satellite fueling stations. With help from our partners at Bolt, a technology accelerator, Orbit Fab has developed a preliminary...