PCB Design Resources and Information | Altium

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

Parameterized Tests Using Pytest for Hardware in the Loop Testing In Configuring a Hardware in the Loop Project, we reviewed the hardware concept in the loop testing using the Pytest framework. In that article, we examined the high-level concepts needed to create a basic test framework and structure. In this article, we will be reviewing the Pytest framework in-depth, specifically parameterized tests. At the end of this article, the reader will understand the difference between individual tests and Read Article

Using an LDO vs. Switching Regulator in Your PCB Designing a low power device? Learn more about the tradeoffs between an LDO vs. a switching regulator in this article. Read Article

All About Your PCB Trace Length: How Long is Too Long? Learn more about PCB trace length and how transmission line losses mount in your designs. Read Article

How to Build a New Data Management System Listen to the Podcast: Download this episode (right click and save) Watch the video: Show Highlight - Pro Tips! How do you build a new data management system? Build templates and defaults (files) and remember to always do this FIRST - copy the Altium defaults and set them up from there. Please review all the parameters and learn how they flow. Then check in to Concord / Altium365. Review and organize your categorization system. Make templates Read Article

Switching Power Supply Output Filter: Design and Simulation SPICE packages can help you design a switching power supply output filter bby looking at transient response results and running parameter sweeps. Read Article

OnTrack Newsletter: ECAD/MCAD, Component Placement and Brain Food - April 2021 OnTrack Newsletter April 2021 VOL. 4 No 7 Successful ECAD/MCAD Collaboration Practices In this article Dr. Zachariah Peterson, founder of Northwest Engineering Services, discusses how his company successfully collaborates with mechanical engineers outside of his firm. He shares practices and tools that have been most useful along the way. Read Article CoDesigner and MCAD Component Placement Watch Now Brain Food Technical Articles to Keep You Read Article

PCB Sharing and What Data You Can Share in Altium 365 Open up your design data files with your team using the PCB sharing features in Altium 365. Read Article

SUBCKT Sharing: The Fastest Ways to Share SPICE Models Online SPICE simulation files shouldn’t be difficult to find. Use Altium 365 to store, track, and access your SUBCKT files for sharing. Read Article

Successful ECAD/MCAD Collaboration Practices In this article, Dr. Zachariah Peterson, founder of Northwest Engineering Services, discusses how his company successfully collaborates with mechanical engineers outside of his firm. He shares practices and tools that have been most useful along the way. Judy Warner: Zach, as an engineer and the owner of Northwest Engineering Solutions (NWES), what challenges do you see as most prevalent and problematic for design engineers when it comes to Read Article

PCB Ground Plane Best Practices in Your Multilayer Stackup Learn all about proper use of a PCB ground plane and grounded copper pour in your design. You’ll ensure signal integrity and low EMI with correct PCB ground plane placement. Read Article

Quantum Computing Electronics vs. Photonics: New Chips Will Shift the Balance Read more about the newest advance in photonics for quantum computing. The electronics in quantum computers are being challenged by new photonic chips. Read Article

Three methods for building MCAD ready components One of the most difficult and frustrating things to arise when traveling to a foreign country is the language barrier Watch Video

Altium OutJob Files vs. Project Release: What's the Difference? Altium OutJob files provide an easy way to create, export, and organize your PCB fabrication files. Now when you need to share your data through the cloud, you have other options. Read Article

Guide to Transient Analysis in SPICE Simulations for Electronics The best SPICE simulation tools will make transient analysis easy. Learn more about transient analysis in circuit design in this article. Read Article

How to Use Design Data and PCB Templates in the Cloud Altium 365 provides an easy way to store, manage, and access PCB templates as part of design reuse. Learn more in our short guide. Read Article

Serial Communications Protocols - Part Three: RS-232 In this series of articles, we’re looking at some of the different types of Serial Communication Protocols available for transferring data between devices. The articles will cover a few of the more popular protocols and standards in use today, and at the end of this series, we will recap and compare the advantages and disadvantages of each. We hope this information will prove valuable next time you need to implement a serial communication bus in Read Article

Mass Production Mindset In true engineering spirit, let’s start by establishing the scope of this article. The intention isn’t to tell you exactly what to do if you need to mass-produce the device you’ve designed or show you what changes to make. This intention is to explore the mindset you need to adopt and the critical thinking you’ll need to do if you need to either design a device from scratch for the mass market or turn your one-off prototype into a format that Read Article