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Component Management
Component Management Made Easy

Manage your components, get real-time supply chain data, access millions of ready-to-use parts.

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Manufacturing Made Easy

Send your product to manufacturing in a click without any email threads or confusion.

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Manufacturer Part Search

Reduce design time by eliminating your component creation process.

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Library & Component Management

Component libraries are the backbone of your PCB projects, providing connectivity data and physical layout requirements. Browse our library of resources to learn more about more efficient methods for component creation and management in your PCB design environment.

What Are PCB Components? Reuse Libraries in Altium 365 How to Create a Symbol How to Create a Footprint Creating a New Component in Altium Designer PCB Component Placement Webinar

Webinars

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0:53:55 Webinars Bridge the Information Divide: Altium 365 Meets Z2Data

Watch the webinar to learn how Z2Data can help you build resilience in engineering, compliance, and procurement through the comprehensive
0:46:51 Webinars Design with Confidence: Altium 365 Meets SiliconExpert

Watch the webinar to learn how SiliconExpert Integration in Altium 365 can optimize your workflows and elevate your design process.
30:24 Webinars Bridge the Information Divide: Altium 365 Meets Z2Data Watch the webinar and learn how Z2Data integration can help you build resilience in engineering, compliance, and procurement through the
1:4:27 Webinars Increase Productivity With Easy Component Creation Watch this webinar to discover how to create different aspects of a component, including symbols, footprints and 3D model parametric data.
44:05 Webinars Help Ensure The Best Designs With Component Management Watch this webinar and explore the advantages and structure of Altium 365 managed components.
50:48 Webinars PCB Component Placement Webinar Proper component placement is one of the most important aspects of PCB design. You need to familiarize yourself with the
1:0:56 Webinars Explore Concord Pro With Altium’s Chief Software Architect Altium Concord Pro™ as a standalone product and brand name has been discontinued and the capabilities are now available as
55:38 Webinars Altium Concord Pro Webinar Altium Concord Pro™ as a standalone product and brand name has been discontinued and the capabilities are now available as
21:37 Webinars Output Job Files for Rapid, Repeatable PCB Manufacturing Data Generation
49:24 Webinars New Product Overview: Altium Concord Pro Altium Concord Pro™ as a standalone product and brand name has been discontinued and the capabilities are now available as
35:34 Webinars New Experiences of Part and Library Component Search
24:13 Webinars New Experiences of Part and Library Component Search
1:32:01 Webinars Professional Library Management
29:12 Webinars Altium Designer Tips Tricks Library from Project
37:15 Webinars Altium Designer: Key Benefits of ActiveBOM Webinar What is ActiveBOM? ActiveBOM is an editor in Altium Designer that sits alongside, in importance, with the schematic and PCB

Altium Designer

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The Benefits of a Circular Economy for Electronics The Benefits of a Circular Economy for Electronics The concept of a circular economy for electronics is a transformative approach to production and consumption. It emphasizes the reuse
Everything You Need to Know about Conformal Coating Everything You Need to Know about Conformal Coating Explore the basics of conformal coating with Mark Harris. Conformal coating is a protective layer applied to electronic circuits to guard against environmental factors such as moisture and dust.
PCB component creation What is PCB Component Creation? Learn more about PCB component creation and how you can easily create components with the best CAD features in Altium Designer.
Reference Designators Altium Designer Helps You Track Reference Designators on Your PCB Make sure you use the correct reference designators in your PCB and in your drawings, schematic sheets, and circuit board layout.
Building Neural Networks on FPGAs Altium Designer Projects Building Neural Networks on FPGAs In this article Ari Mahpour demonstrates how to get a Neural Network running on the FPGA fabric of a Zynq SoC using hls4ml and the Pynq Z2.
intrusive soldering When Should You Use Intrusive Soldering? Your PCB assembler can offer intrusive soldering as an assembly option. Here’s how it works and what not to do to your PCB footprint.
flyback transformer design Flyback Transformer Design With Core and Coilformer Flyback transformers can be designed as custom components with high efficiency and galvanic isolation. Here is how to create a custom flyback transformer for a flyback converter.
1:4:27 Webinars Increase Productivity With Easy Component Creation Watch this webinar to discover how to create different aspects of a component, including symbols, footprints and 3D model parametric data.
Plug and Play Industrial Automation? It's Only a Matter of Time OnTrack Podcasts Plug and Play Industrial Automation? It's Only a Matter of Time We are pleased to host a thought-provoking conversation between Tech Consultant Zach Peterson and Dr. Philip Voglewede. They have a very intriguing conversation about the role of automation in the current and future industrial landscape.
Interfacing DDR Memory with AMD/Xilinx FPGAs Interfacing DDR Memory with AMD/Xilinx FPGAs Learn how to interface DDR memory with AMD/Xilinx FPGAs.
PCB footprint layers What's With All the Layers in PCB Footprints? Your PCB footprints contain many layers. Which of these layers are most important and what should they contain? We’ll explore in this article.
DIP component Does Anyone Still Use DIP Components? DIP components are less-often used in professional PCB design projects for new products, but legacy products may still need these parts.
How to Design a Bias Tee for a Power Amplifier How to Design a Bias Tee for a Power Amplifier Bias tees are used in some RF systems to separate AC and DC power along a particular line. Learn more about bias tee design in this article.
Inverted-F Antenna Inverted-F Antenna Design For a PCB Learn how to design an inverted-F antenna for an RF PCB layout.
IC Carrier PCB How to Design an IC Carrier PCB Carrier boards for integrated circuits can be used as interposers whenever there is an incorrect PCB land pattern.
Chip-on-Board PCB Design Rules for Chip-on-Board Layout There is one simple type of packaging that is not really packaging in the conventional sense: chip-on-board.
TVS Diode PCB Design Guidelines for Using TVS Diode for Transient Protection A TVS diode can help with your PCB layout withstand an ESD event by diverting surges away from protected components.
SMD pad size Best Methods for Calculating SMD Pad Size in PCB Design Component creation requires accurate SMD pad sizes in your PCB footprints. See how to determine pad sizes for your SMD components.
Footprint Creation Made Easy Footprint Creation Made Easy Learn how to create footprint with ease using the IPC Compliant Footprint Wizard, built-in to Altium Designer. In this guide, you’ll learn how to quickly create an example SOIC-8 footprint, including automatic generation of an accurate 3D model.
Cascaded transfer functions monte carlo Monte Carlo Analysis With Transfer Functions in Cascaded Circuits Pro circuit designers don’t just work with components in parallel and series when they design circuits. One way to build
BGA land pattern and BGA footprint What's In Your BGA Land Pattern and Footprint BGA land patterns aren’t always contained in a datasheet. If you need to create one of these, how large do you make the pads, solder mask, and fanout style? Learn more in this article.
PCB Solder mask expansion What Is Solder Mask Expansion and Which Value Should You Use? The solder stop mask layer caps off the PCB and provides a protective film over copper on the surface layers
Ferrite Core Selection and Design Decisions Ferrite Core Selection and Design Decisions When designing a transformer or using a ferrite core inductor, you must use the correct design process, and there is no substitution for real-world final testing. Let’s look at the process.
Leveraging the Free Footprint Community to Design at Lightning Speed Leveraging the Free Footprint Community to Design at Lightning Speed In this article, we reviewed a few different offerings of free footprint library resources for Altium Designer. We also briefly covered how to migrate those libraries to your Altium 365 Workspace.
Estimating and Understanding Thermal Conductivity of PCBs Estimating and Understanding Thermal Conductivity of PCBs Your circuit board substrate and copper conductors are the primary factors that determine how heat will move around the board
Taking a Modular PCB Design Approach in Altium Designer PCB design is rarely discussed in terms of designing functional blocks or as connecting modules with different functionality. Simple designs
Connectors Benefit from Compatible ECAD/MCAD Tools Modeling and Placing PCB Connectors Within Altium Designer ALTIUM DESIGNER The most powerful, modern, and easy-to-use PCB design tool for professional use. I/O use connectors for PCB system
How to Keep Your 3D PCB Models Current with Data Management Tools How to Keep Your 3D PCB Models Current with Data Management Tools Any component includes a significant amount of design data. This includes electrical design data management software, electrical models, 3D PCB
symbolic division Guidelines for Creating Useful PCB Schematic Symbols The PCB schematic symbols that you use to represent the components are at the heart of your schematic design. The
Working Through Circuit Simulation Free Often Won’t Work, Try Altium Designer Working Through Circuit Simulation for Free Often Won’t Work, Try Altium Designer Electronic Design Automation (EDA) software provides the tools that support the design and analysis of electronic devices, systems, and printed
A Guide to Challenging Projects Altium Designer Projects A Guide to Challenging Projects Starting a project? Here's an expert advise from Mark Harris to get you through challenging design projects. Read this blog and see if this method will work for you.
Cellular internet of things design and devices Using Cellular Modules for Internet of Things Devices and Design Cellular internet of things products are widely accessible and easy to design thanks to standard cellular modem modules and transceiver components.
Navigating PCB Footprint Landmines Navigating PCB Footprint Landmines Altium Concord Pro™ as a standalone product and brand name has been discontinued and the capabilities are now available as
Successful PCB Design Engineers Use Altium Designer See Successful PCB Design Engineers Use Altium Designer Altium is the world’s leading provider of PCB design software because Altium Customers achieve the products they set out to
Electronic components and Altium DbLibs in the Cloud with Altium 365 DbLibs and Electronic Components in the Cloud with Altium 365 Industry expert Davide Bortolami discusses what DbLibs are, how they work, what they can help you achieve, and how to integrate them with Altium 365. Spoiler alert: it’s disgustingly easy.
Why you should be using Concord Pro? Why You Should Be Using Concord Pro Altium Concord Pro™ as a standalone product and brand name has been discontinued and the capabilities are now available as
Evaluating Concord Pro Evaluating Concord Pro Altium Concord Pro™ as a standalone product and brand name has been discontinued and the capabilities are now available as
Chris Carlson's Time Saving Tips for PCB Design Newsletters OnTrack Podcasts Chris Carlson's Time Saving Tips for PCB Design In this podcast episode, Chris Carlson, Senior Field Application Engineer at Altium, shares the kind of indispensable PCB design tips & tricks one can only get with 23-years of experience! Watch now!
IPC Compliant Footprint Wizard Use Altium Designer’s IPC® Compliant Footprint Wizard to Make Unified PCB Library Footprints Altium Designer’s IPC® Compliant Footprint Wizard facilitates accurate PCB footprint generation for each component in Altium Designer. The footprint generation
Creating High Pin Count Schematic Symbols Quickly Altium Designer Projects Creating High Pin Count Schematic Symbols Quickly Making schematic symbols is quick and painless when you use regular expressions and leverage Altium Designer’s expansive toolkit.
Continuous Deployment: An Implementation Using Altium Designer Continuous Deployment: An Implementation Using Altium Designer In Continuous Integration and Deployment in ECAD we discussed the concept of Continuous Deployment within a build system. In this
BOM Management and PCB Design Data Synchronization BOM Management and PCB Design Data Synchronization Cloud-based tools for data management can keep your design and production data synchronized If you lead a design team, then
Agile Product Lifecycle Management Methods in PCB Design Agile Product Lifecycle Management Methods in PCB Design Supercharge your productivity with agile product lifecycle management Any industry that relies heavily on new technologies must frequently reinvent itself
What is an Engineering Bill of Materials in Agile PCB Design? What is an Engineering Bill of Materials in Agile PCB Design? If you’ve ever prepared a new device for manufacturing, then you’re probably familiar with the different types of bills of
Why Your BOM Excel Template is Going the Way of the Dinosaur Why Your BOM Excel Template is Going the Way of the Dinosaur It’s time to ditch your BOM Excel template The saying goes in software, “great coders use great code”. The same
Effective Integrated PCB Library Management with Altium Designer Effective Integrated PCB Library Management with Altium Designer PCB library management by hand is over with Altium Designer If you’ve been designing for awhile, you’ve probably accumulated a
1:14 Videos Find Similar Components
37 Videos Keepout & Component Selection Redesign
3:31 Videos About the Altium Designer 19.1 Update In this video, Ben Jordan talks about the Altium Designer 19.1 software update, what’s new with some features and bug
49:24 Webinars New Product Overview: Altium Concord Pro Altium Concord Pro™ as a standalone product and brand name has been discontinued and the capabilities are now available as
47 Videos How To - Using File-Based Libraries in the New Components Panel
35:34 Webinars New Experiences of Part and Library Component Search
Comparing Electronic Prices with Supply Chain Visibility Thought Leadership Comparing Electronic Prices with Supply Chain Visibility Thankfully, I’m no longer a broke college student that has ramen every other day for dinner. But the spending and
Preparing for Manufacturing with PCB Panelization Software Thought Leadership Preparing for Manufacturing with PCB Panelization Software If you work in manufacturing or you plan to produce a new product, productivity is the name of the game
Optimizing Electronic Product Documentation for Assembly and Manufacturing Thought Leadership Optimizing Electronic Product Documentation for Assembly and Manufacturing I’m the kind of person that can get overwhelmed with too much information. If my wife gives me a choice
Choosing Equivalent ICs in Your PCB Thought Leadership How to Find Equivalent ICs in Your PCB When I was younger, I would routinely open up old or broken electronics just to see how they worked. I
Adding Fabrication Tolerance Options to Your Manufacturer Deliverables Thought Leadership PCB Manufacturing Tolerances: Adding Fabrication Tolerance Options to Your Manufacturer Deliverables Much as we would like, no manufacturing process is perfect. Every process produces slight errors in part sizes or placement
Take Charge of Your PCB Design with This Bill of Material Software Free Trial Thought Leadership Take Charge of Your PCB Design with This Bill of Material Software Free Trial New Year’s resolutions are often the focus of humor as people admit that they are difficult to keep. The old
2:18 Videos How to Setup and Use PCB Courtyard Layers, Assembly and Other Component Layer Pairs in Altium Designer 19 To learn more about Altium Designer 19, listen to Altium Engineer David Marrakchi discuss this latest Altium Designer release with
1:03 Videos How to Use Altium Content Vault in Altium Designer 19 To learn more about Altium Designer 19, listen to Altium Engineer David Marrakchi discuss this latest Altium Designer release with
1:34 Videos How to Set Up Custom Grouping in Components Panel in Altium Designer 19 To learn more about Altium Designer 19, listen to Altium Engineer David Marrakchi discuss this latest Altium Designer release with
1:51 Videos New Components Panel
1:28 Videos How to Use Stack Up Materials Library in Altium Designer 19 Learn how to use and leverage Altium Designer’s large array of predefined material definitions, and ensure your boards are always
Keep Track of Your Components with Electronic Component Database Software Thought Leadership Keep Track of Your Components with Electronic Component Database Software Believe it or not, everyone eventually finds themselves in a situation where they can’t find something they need. You make
Pipelining Your Design File Process; Component Selection Pipelining Your Design File Process: Component Selection Using automated PCB component selection features, you can pipeline your design file process. Learn how the Manufacturer Part Search panel can help simplify PCB design.
Electronic Component Distributors Harnessing the Power of One-Stop Shopping Thought Leadership Electronic Component Distributors Harnessing the Power of One-Stop Shopping Every year, I spend time working on my house and car to keep them maintained. Trips to the hardware store
Building Your Next Multi-Level Bill of Materials Thought Leadership Building Your Next Multi-Level Bill of Materials My wife and I always argue about what goes on the grocery list each week. I’m a total carnivore, while
Working with IPC Compliant Footprint Models Working with IPC Compliant Footprint Models Industry standards have been a boon for designers and the electronics industry. Standards are important because they tell designers and
SMD LEDs in Your PCB and Your Bill of Materials Thought Leadership SMD LEDs in Your PCB and Your Bill of Materials Unless you refuse to get out of the house on a Friday night (like me), you’ve probably been at a
How Integrated Libraries Help You Manage Your PCB Supply Chain Thought Leadership Effective Supply Chain Management through PCB Libraries and Supply Chain Integration If only sourcing PCB components worked like e-commerce. Recommendation engines are great in that they can help you decide what
Free Bill of Materials Software vs. Integrated Design Software Thought Leadership Free Bill of Materials Software vs. Integrated Design Software The first time I prepared functional requirements for a web platform, I thought the document was massively complex. I forget
Circuit Breakers in Your PCB and Your Bill of Materials Circuit Breakers in Your PCB and Your Bill of Materials Circuit breakers are not required in every system, but in some environments they are the main source of protection against
Altium Bill of Materials: Keep It Simple With ActiveBOM Thought Leadership Altium's Bill of Materials Software: Get Rid of ORCAD's BOM and Keep It Simple With ActiveBOM I don’t know about you, but I have no desire to be a software engineer. I want software that does
29:12 Webinars Altium Designer Tips Tricks Library from Project
How a Components Search Engine Helps You Choose Parts For Your PCB Thought Leadership How a Components Search Engine Helps You Choose Parts For Your PCB If you owned a computer during the 1990’s, then you remember when internet search engines became massively popular. Most homepages
Browsing Electronic Component Distributor Inventory with Integrated Libraries Thought Leadership Browsing Electronic Component Distributor Inventory with Integrated Libraries Even though I make a lot of lists just to keep track of all the different activities going on with
Build Your Next Engineering BOM With Integrated Design Software Thought Leadership Build Your Next Engineering BOM With Integrated Design Software It’s easy to collaborate on a project with a small number of people. I’ve always found that two or three
Electronic Parts Sourcing with Integrated Component Libraries Thought Leadership Electronic Parts Sourcing with Integrated Component Libraries The weekend is grocery time at our house, and we always make a thorough list of everything we need for
Identify Vendor Parts Early: Manage BoMs Proactively With Consolidated Part Sourcing Thought Leadership Identify Vendor Parts Early: Manage BoMs Proactively With Consolidated Part Sourcing Walking a tightrope requires intricate balance. Simply visualized as a walker and a rope in space. Simple moves into complexity
A Complete Bill of Materials and Other Suggestions for Error Free PCB Manufacturing Thought Leadership A Complete Bill of Materials and Other Suggestions for Error Free PCB Manufacturing Long before my youngest son became a teenager, we already knew that in everything that he did he worked at
Count the Cost With Rigid Flex PCB Cost Comparison Thought Leadership Count the Cost With Rigid Flexible PCB Cost Comparison When my oldest boy bought his first car I was worried that he might have made a mistake. Sadly my
Altium Vault Streamlines Product Development Process With Early Access to Component Sourcing and Costing Thought Leadership Altium Vault Streamlines Product Development Process With Early Access to Component Sourcing and Costing Instead of Placeholders The product development process for printed circuit assemblies is highly dependent on complete Bills of Material. Complete Bills of Material
Choosing Replacement Components With an Integrated Library Thought Leadership Find Replacement Electronic Components With an Integrated Library Much as we would like, designing a new product or system is not without its hiccups. Designs, functionality, and component
Integrated Design Software vs. Access Databases For Bills of Materials Thought Leadership PCB Manufacturing: Access Databases vs. Integrated Design Software For Bills of Materials Building databases in programs like Access is easy enough. Access databases deserve a lot of credit for helping organize tons
Why Constantly Updating Component Libraries are Boons Why Constantly Updating Component Libraries are Boons If you’re my age or older, you might remember looking through the card catalog at your local library. Lacking any
Mechanical System Verification Keeps Production Optimized Thought Leadership Mechanical System Verification Keeps Production Optimized These days, electronic packaging is more than just a neat rectangular box with some holes drilled for input and output
Copper Efficiency and its Impact on Electronics Design and Manufacturing Thought Leadership Copper Efficiency and its Impact on Electronics Design and Manufacturers We learned early in our engineering education that copper is the most widely used metal to conduct electricity. The industry
The Problem With Using Excel Templates For Your Bill of Materials Thought Leadership The Problem With Using Excel Templates For Your Bill of Materials Let’s give credit where credit is due: templates can be very useful tools. I’m not really the artistic type, and
Board Shape Management in 3D Modeling Software Thought Leadership Board Shape Management in 3D Modeling Software Rectangular PCBs are old-school. Newer devices are more likely to use an odd-shaped PCB that closely conforms to its packaging
Excel Versus BOM Software: When Your Data Management Tool Needs an Upgrade Thought Leadership Excel Versus BOM Software: When Your Data Management Tool Needs an Upgrade At our house, creating a grocery shopping list can become a multi-day event. Stage 1 of the extravaganza involves a
Overview of PCB Development Process Thought Leadership Overview of PCB Development Process I have a friend who forgets that the rest of us can’t read his mind. He often starts a conversation
Get into the Zone of PCB Parts Information from Your BOM Application Thought Leadership Get into the Zone of PCB Parts Information from Your BOM Application “Picture if you will,” “Imagine a world where,” and “Submitted for your approval” are all quotes from Rod Serling, the
How Bill of Material Software Can Protect You from Unintended Errors Thought Leadership How Bill of Material Software Can Protect You from Unintended Errors Editorial credit: Willrow Hood / Shutterstock.com OK, I’ll admit it; I like the original Star Trek just as much as
Component Symbol Information Management and Display Usability Thought Leadership 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
Start Your Schematic Right with the Best Electronics Parts Management Thought Leadership Start Your Schematic Right with the Best Way to Organize Electronics Components and Management Software I loved building models when I was a kid. Whether it was airplanes, cars, ships, or tanks, it didn’t matter
BOM Management Tools for PCB Manufacturing Thought Leadership 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
Your Advanced BOM Can Integrate PCB Design With Vacation Time Thought Leadership Your Advanced BOM Can Integrate PCB Design With Vacation Time Anyone who has ever put together a gift for their children knows the importance of quality instructions. The experience that
Editing Multiple Components Anywhere in Footprint Thought Leadership 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
Compare PCB Design Software Features For Your Device to Move to Manufacturing Thought Leadership Compare PCB Design Software Features For Your Device to Move to Manufacturing So you’ve just devised your new device that will revolutionize the world on the back of a cocktail napkin. Maybe
Coupled Versus Uncoupled Inductors: Which is Right for Your Switching Power Supply? Thought Leadership 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
Developing 3D Printed Electronics to Minimize PCB Design and Manufacturing Costs Thought Leadership Developing 3D Printed Electronics to Minimize PCB Design and Manufacturing Costs After moving to a new city, I couldn’t resist visiting the local library to pick up my library card and
Strength of BOM Applications for Everything from Hobby Boards to Large Systems Thought Leadership Strength of BOM Applications for Everything from Hobby Boards to Large Systems I’m currently building a new tool shed and I was fortunate enough to find some plans for exactly what I
How PCB Library Organization Expands Design Capabilities Thought Leadership How PCB Library Organization Expands Design Capabilities A popular children’s cartoon featured a superhero called the “Masked Retriever” who had a real job as an ordinary librarian
Creating a Bill of Material with PCB Design Software using Altium Designer Thought Leadership PCB Design Software: Creating a Bill of Material using Altium Designer You’ve done it, your printed circuit board is finished and ready for PCB assembly. The schematic is finalized, the layout
PCB Component Data Management Resolved with Connected Component Applications Thought Leadership PCB Component Data Management Resolved with Connected Component Applications My mouth was watering as I picked up the box sitting on my front porch. Dinner would be ready in
7 Benefits of Bringing Additive Manufacturing In-House Thought Leadership 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
Inventors Should Spend Time Designing and Less Time Writing a Bill of Materials Thought Leadership Inventors Should Spend Time Designing and Less Time Writing a Bill of Materials There’s a beautiful sense of satisfaction that comes with building something great. You took the time to think through the
Electronic Product Life Cycle Management Avoids Unpredicted Application Results Thought Leadership Electronic Product Life Cycle Management Avoids Unpredicted Application Results Everyone has a smartphone these days. Well, everyone except my grandparents. They still use clamshell phones and perfectly happy with
Ease the Pain of Your PCB Supply Chain Management with Intuitive Design Tools Thought Leadership 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
Ducks in a Row: Process Control and Document Traceability in One Place Thought Leadership 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
Obsolescence Management of Electronic Components Throughout Product Lifetime Thought Leadership Obsolescence Management of Electronic Components Throughout Product Lifetime I know what you’re thinking. Why can’t my manager automate a process for obsolescence management of electronic components? It would
Using Platform Unification Removes Need for BOM Analysis Thought Leadership Using Platform Unification Removes Need for BOM Analysis One of my friends laments that her husband has three versions of the same flat-head screwdriver. He doesn’t put his
How an Integrated PCB Library Can Reduce Development Cost Thought Leadership 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
Successfully Source Your PCB's Electronic Parts With a Great BOM Thought Leadership Great BOM Tools for Successfully Sourcing Your PCB Electronic Components Use your bill of materials for sourcing and supply chain management My friends think I’m neurotic for making so many
BOM Planning for Different Levels of Production Thought Leadership 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
Unifying a Comprehensive Collection: PCB Library Management Thought Leadership 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
Add Any Component to Your Design With Unified Component Libraries Thought Leadership 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
Managing Your PCB Design Through BOM Planning: What’s Important Thought Leadership Managing Your PCB Design Through BOM Planning: What’s Important Back in my younger days, I was infatuated with Legos. Every chance I had, I would run into the toy
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Optimizing PCB Panelization Can Reduce Costs and Increase Yield Thought Leadership Optimizing PCB Panelization Can Reduce Costs and Increase Yield Once you have finished designing your board, you are probably ready to move on to the manufacturing stage. Back in
Get the Help you Need Selecting PCB Components with Bill of Materials Software Thought Leadership Get the Help you Need Selecting PCB Components with Bill of Materials Software I’m in the middle of replacing the electric motor in my bathroom fan, but, unfortunately, I have no idea what
PCB Fabrication and Assembly Processes and Where Wave Soldering Fits In Thought Leadership PCB Fabrication and Assembly Processes and Where Wave Soldering Fits In Growing up, I sometimes felt like an Army brat. My dad was in the Air Force, not the Army and
Manually Creating Component Footprint 4 Steps on How to Create a Component Footprint in Altium Designer When laying out your printed circuit board, it is critical that you know how to create footprint for your design
Automating Your BOM System for PCB CAD Library Quality and Compliance Thought Leadership 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
Using a BOM Tool Enables You to Create Your Design with Confidence Thought Leadership Using a BOM Tool Enables You to Create Your Design with Confidence My dog is so old that he sleeps 20 hours a day and naps the other four. Therefore it was
Put the Power of a BOM Template to Work for You Thought Leadership Put the Power of a BOM Template to Work for You One of the dictionary definitions of the word “template” is; anything that determines or serves as a pattern or a
Remote BOM Access Makes Work as Easy as Hitting a Button Thought Leadership 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
Single-Sided Versus Double-Sided PCB Costs Are Necessary Comparisons Thought Leadership Difference Between Single-Sided and Double-Sided PCBs: Necessary Costs Comparisons Duck hunters cherish their favorite call. With hundreds of available calls at our fingertips, choosing the right call can challenge
BOM Control: Setting up your PCB Documentation for Success Thought Leadership BOM Control: Setting up your PCB Documentation for Success Years ago I ventured into the world of remote control helicopters. Not the ready-to-fly-out-of-the-box drones that they sell today, but
Bill of Materials Management Strategies: Automation is Your Friend Thought Leadership Bill of Materials Management Strategies: Automation is Your Friend When I was a boy I really enjoyed reading the “Alfred Hitchcock and the Three Investigators” mystery books. These books
How to Create a Bill of Materials That Meets Your Needs Thought Leadership How to Create a Bill of Materials That Meets Your Needs Sometimes when pressed to answer a question that I’m not prepared for like, “what do you want for your birthday”
Putting Constraints to Work for You in Your Circuit Routing Software Thought Leadership Putting Constraints to Work for You in Your Circuit Routing Software When I was a kid, my parents had a 1955 Oldsmobile Super 88 Holiday. What a great car. As an
Optimizing Your BOM for Rapid Prototype Manufacturing Thought Leadership BOM Optimization for Rapid Prototype Manufacturing Your BOM can make your manufacturing speeds, especially if you want your prototyping to be done quick and smooth.
Create a BOM That Works for Everyone Thought Leadership Create a BOM That Works for Everyone For me, socks have always been about utility: they keep my feet from getting blisters. Yet for years I have
Pass The Baton Well to PCB Design Successors Thought Leadership Pass The Baton Well to PCB Design Successors Have you ever walked into a new job, first-day energy rolling through your shoulders, only to sit down and look
Your PCB Bill of Materials Report Can Be So Much More Than a Simple Statement Thought Leadership Your PCB Bill of Materials Report Can Be So Much More Than a Simple Statement I just finished going through my bank balances and I am very grateful for the online utilities that my bank
No Icebergs Here, Captain! Board Rule Checking for Bill of Materials Management Thought Leadership No Icebergs Here, Captain! Board Rule Checking for Bill of Materials Management You know the story of RMS Titanic and how just before midnight on April 14th, 1912, it struck an iceberg
Instructions Are Easy When You Write Them: The PCB Assembly Drawing Thought Leadership Instructions Are Easy When You Write Them: The PCB Assembly Drawing learn about the basics of assembly drawing.
Using Obsolescence Management Software to Avoid Surprises with Obsolete Parts Thought Leadership Using Obsolescence Management Tools and Software to Avoid Surprises with Obsolete Parts Recently I helped with a plumbing problem at my mother-in-law’s house. A fixture had started to leak and water was
How Online BOM Management Helps Build Teamwork Thought Leadership How Online BOM Management Helps Build Teamwork Last week one of my co-workers, a brilliant guy named Phil, quit his job for a position in another company
Why You Should Include Mechanical Parts in Your Bill of Materials Template Thought Leadership Why You Should Include Mechanical Parts in Your Bill of Materials Template Have you ever put together a project where there weren’t enough to finish the job? I have, and I know
Considerations for PCB Circuit Design: Why PCB Labeling is Important Thought Leadership Considerations for PCB Circuit Design: Why PCB Labels are Important Checklists are an important part of life. Airline pilots use them to make sure that they’ve put the wheels down
PCB Designer Responsibilities: How to Manage Engineering and Manufacturing Expectations Thought Leadership PCB Designer Responsibilities: How to Manage Engineering and Manufacturing Expectations My wife works at an elementary school, and the thing she dislikes the most is when she has to put
How PCB BOM Management Tools fit into a Paperless Manufacturing BOM System Thought Leadership How PCB BOM Management Tools fit into a Paperless Manufacturing BOM Software My wife is an avid reader, and we have a large selection of her favorite books filling the bookshelves in
Obsolescence Information Management for PCB BOM Maintenance Thought Leadership Obsolescence Information Management for PCB BOM Maintenance In my home laboratory, the garage, I have many bins. One contains small springs, another gear-motors, yet another small bolts
PCB BOM Creation as a Living Document Thought Leadership PCB BOM Creation as a Living Document The other day my son bought himself a new phone because the navigator in his old phone was defective. Every
Bill of Materials Inventory Management and the Benefits of an Online Parts Request System Thought Leadership Bill of Materials Inventory Management and the Benefits of an Online Parts Request Documentation Systems I once asked a family member to borrow some money to use as a down payment. His response included a
Important Considerations in Your Embedded System's Master-Slave Communication Model Thought Leadership Important Considerations in Your Embedded System's Master-Slave Communication Model It can take a few weeks or months to finish a working prototype of an embedded system. Sometimes I would
The Importance of Compliance Awareness in Circuit and PCB Design Thought Leadership The Importance of Compliance Awareness in Circuit and PCB Design I had an English professor once who was a lot of fun, but man, his requirements for essay writing were
How to Plan Ahead to Meet PCB Disposal Requirements Thought Leadership How to Plan Ahead to Meet PCB Disposal Requirements When I was a kid and learned to solder, I had a mentor that kept an old coffee can on
How PCB BOM Management Tools Facilitate Efficient Communication Between Departments Thought Leadership How PCB BOM Management Tools Facilitate Efficient Communication Between Departments Many years ago, I was a junior PCB learning the ropes of the trade in a large company. To help
Bill of materials in Supply chain management: Part inventory control Thought Leadership Bill of Materials in Supply Chain Management: Part Inventory Control Sending information to other departments and personnel is a regular part of the PCB design process. For purchasing, their part
How PCB BOM Management Can Reduce Delays in Manufacturing Thought Leadership PCB BOM Management: Spend Less Time on Your BOM and Reduce Delays in Manufacturing Real-time solutions with management tools Cafeterias in colleges, summer camps, and schools are often known for serving up food that
PCB Circuit Design Tips: Standard vs. Specialized Component Selection Thought Leadership PCB Circuit Design Tips: Standard vs. Specialized Component Selection in PCB Design As a kid, I was fascinated by hovercrafts. These nearly frictionless vehicles go from land to water without pause and
BOM Management Tools and Real Time Part Access: How It Will Help Your PCB Design for Manufacturability Thought Leadership PCB BOM Management Tools and Real Time Part Access: How It Will Help Your Design for Manufacturability Have you ever been so ready to take off on a new project that you can’t wait to jump into
PCB Design and BOM Management: How to Ensure Profitability in Low Volume Manufacturing Thought Leadership Circuit Board Design and BOM Management in Low Volume PCB Assembly What’s the difference between Angry Birds and SpongeBob? I’m probably at an age where I shouldn’t be caring about these
Designing Controller PCBs Thought Leadership Designing General PCB Controller for your Circuit Board Layout I always thought that to be successful you need to emulate the success of others. When I started my career
How NASA Plans to Use 3D Printed Circuit Board Technology Thought Leadership How NASA Plans to Use 3D PCB Technology and Designs for Space Missions Editorial credit: Tony Craddock / Shutterstock.com Have you noticed how a 3D model has become a phenomenon? People seem to
Important Features to Consider When You're Comparing PCB Design Software Thought Leadership Important Features to Consider When You're Comparing and Recomparing PCB Design Software Anyone who knows me knows that I hate shopping. This is as true for lab equipment and software as it
Data Management in Four Steps Data Management in Four Steps When it comes to electronics design, data management is at the bottom of most engineers’ priority list. When you first
Design Data: Organize to Optimize Design Data: Organize to Optimize You’re Only as Strong as Your Weakest Link As engineers, we tend to focus on the end technology and forget
Professional PCB Design Data Professional PCB Design Data Your PCB design is like a novel. The words of that novel are the buildings blocks you use. You wouldn’t
Complete Component Library Management for PCB Design Data Complete Component Library Management for PCB Design Data Complete Management Components are the basic building blocks of designs and even the slightest discrepancy can derail your whole design
Choosing the Best Communication Configuration for Your IoT Device Network Thought Leadership 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
SpaceX to Launch Modular Falcon Rocket with Reused Engines Thought Leadership SpaceX to Launch Modular Falcon Rocket with Reused Engines Modular, reusable design is a design methodology that demands serious consideration. SpaceX have put the associated advantages to work with
The Challenges Of ECAD Library Management The Challenges Of ECAD Library Management Implementing a proper system for ECAD data management enhances team productivity and efficiency to help you deliver products on time
Creating 3D Component Bodies in a Footprint Library Thought Leadership PCB Design: Create 3D Component in a Footprint Library In today’s PCB design process, your design and CAD tool needs to be able to integrate mechanical design workflows into
The Wild West of PCB Design - Part Choice Showdown The Wild West of PCB Design - Part Choice Showdown Does your part selection process ever feel like a wild west showdown, where every stakeholder is out to protect their
6 Things for Your PCB Design Library Thought Leadership 6 Things to Have in Your Team’s PCB Design Library Components form the building blocks of our Printed Board designs, and making the right component selections can make or break
Using Configuration Management to Reduce Design Errors and Promote Re-use: Part 1 Using Configuration Management to Reduce Design Errors and Promote Re-use: Part 1 A Configuration Management system can be used, along with an existing Design Data Management system, to further promote good data
How to use Schematic CAD Drawings for Cable Assemblies: Part 2 How to use Schematic CAD Drawings for Cable Assemblies: Part 2 The need to design cable assembly drawings often falls to the electronics design team, but for many, the use of
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Practical Steps to Create Embedded Side-Emitting LEDs in a PCB Practical Steps to Create Embedded Side-Emitting LEDs in a PCB Embedded PCB cavities can be used along the edge of a PCB to provide side access to components, such as LEDs.
What's in a Name - Component Development Part 2 Engineering News What's in a Name - Component Code Development Part 2 In this blog, I outline how Altium Designers Content Team names printed circuit board (PCB) components, symbols, and footprints. This
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What's the best way to make a library searchable? Parameters - Component Development Part 3 Thought Leadership What's the best way to make a library searchable? Parameters - Component Development Part 3 It's one thing to make great components, but it's quite another to make them easy to find. With reusable components
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Defining PCB Library Types and Methodologies for Your Design Process PCB Libraries: Defining Library Types and Methodologies for Your Design Process There are various PCB library types and methodologies out there, and selecting which to implement into your design process depends
Supply Chain Management: Ensure Component Availability at Design Time Thought Leadership Supply Chain Management: Ensure Component Availability at Design Time Component availability can result in missed deadlines or render a design unproducible. Learn how to the supply chain management capabilities
How to Easily Reverse Engineer PCB Project Libraries Reverse Engineering PCB Project Libraries Receiving PCB design files from clients isn’t always as smooth a process. Clients may send incomplete project files, project library
Creating Project Libraries from the Schematic Creating Project Libraries from the Schematic When you are using an outside manufacturer or sharing a design with another party that does not have access to
Customize BOM Reports for Consistent Documentation Whitepapers Customize BOM Reports for Consistent Documentation Learn how to clearly communicate proper board assembly with multiple variants with BOM customization in Altium Designer. Upon completion of
Quickly Create Project Libraries from the Schematic Whitepapers Quickly Create Project Libraries from the Schematic Learn how to quickly create project libraries from the schematic for easy external sharing using the Parameter Manager in Altium
Design Data Management Part 2 — The Supply Chain Whitepapers Design Data Management Part 2 — The Supply Chain Learn how to verify PCB component availability and pricing directly from your design environment in Altium Designer. To learn more
Reverse Engineering Project Libraries Whitepapers Reverse Engineering Project Libraries Outsourcing has become the de-facto solution for companies seeking to cut costs and increase their profit margins. Rather than consuming
Standardize Your Component Libraries with Component Templates (Vault Component Template) Whitepapers Standardize Your Component Libraries with Component Templates (Vault Component Template)
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Enhancing Your Design Efficiency with Project Templates Whitepapers Enhancing Your Design Efficiency with Project Templates HIERARCHICAL SCHEMATIC DESIGN IN ALTIUM DESIGNER New Altium Designer users may not fully understand the benefits of organizing schematic sheets

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The Benefits of a Circular Economy for Electronics The Benefits of a Circular Economy for Electronics The concept of a circular economy for electronics is a transformative approach to production and consumption. It emphasizes the reuse
Cover Photo for the SiliconExpert Article SiliconExpert Integration with Altium 365: Top Benefits SiliconExpert is your one-stop shop to choose low-risk parts and optimize your electronics supply chain. And the best part? It's now integrated with Altium 365, making the design process even smoother!
Everything You Need to Know about Conformal Coating Everything You Need to Know about Conformal Coating Explore the basics of conformal coating with Mark Harris. Conformal coating is a protective layer applied to electronic circuits to guard against environmental factors such as moisture and dust.
The Positive Impact of Supply Chain Visibility on Design to Cost Cover Photo The Positive Impact of Supply Chain Visibility on Design to Cost With increased electronics supply chain visibility, you can develop better products faster and align perfectly with budget constraints early on. Here’s why.
molded interconnect devices MIDs Make a Comeback as Vertical SMD Modules for Your PCB If you’ve ever wanted to mount components vertically, but without the expense of a flex section, use an MID in your PCB.
PCB component creation What is PCB Component Creation? Learn more about PCB component creation and how you can easily create components with the best CAD features in Altium Designer.
Reference Designators Altium Designer Helps You Track Reference Designators on Your PCB Make sure you use the correct reference designators in your PCB and in your drawings, schematic sheets, and circuit board layout.
What is ISO 14300 What is the ISO 14300 Standard for Electronic Components? In looking for the answer of what is ISO 14300, find out about space exploration device requirements and the potential
global electronics manufacturing sector 5 Top Economic Headlines Impacting You The global electronics manufacturing sector is always grappling with economic volatility, shifting demand, and geopolitical uncertainty. Here's a quick guide
Car engineering Can We Engineer an Uncrashable Car? The uncrashable car is not a distant dream. It's an engineering reality in progress. But while we're making rapid strides
Building Neural Networks on FPGAs Altium Designer Projects Building Neural Networks on FPGAs In this article Ari Mahpour demonstrates how to get a Neural Network running on the FPGA fabric of a Zynq SoC using hls4ml and the Pynq Z2.
0:53:55 Webinars Bridge the Information Divide: Altium 365 Meets Z2Data

Watch the webinar to learn how Z2Data can help you build resilience in engineering, compliance, and procurement through the comprehensive
0:46:51 Webinars Design with Confidence: Altium 365 Meets SiliconExpert

Watch the webinar to learn how SiliconExpert Integration in Altium 365 can optimize your workflows and elevate your design process.
30:24 Webinars Bridge the Information Divide: Altium 365 Meets Z2Data Watch the webinar and learn how Z2Data integration can help you build resilience in engineering, compliance, and procurement through the
3D Printing For Electronic Lab Organization 3D Printing For Electronic Lab Organization 3D printing technology offers electronic designers fantastic opportunities to improve their development processes, produce product mock-ups and even create custom
intrusive soldering When Should You Use Intrusive Soldering? Your PCB assembler can offer intrusive soldering as an assembly option. Here’s how it works and what not to do to your PCB footprint.
flyback transformer design Flyback Transformer Design With Core and Coilformer Flyback transformers can be designed as custom components with high efficiency and galvanic isolation. Here is how to create a custom flyback transformer for a flyback converter.
1:4:27 Webinars Increase Productivity With Easy Component Creation Watch this webinar to discover how to create different aspects of a component, including symbols, footprints and 3D model parametric data.
44:05 Webinars Help Ensure The Best Designs With Component Management Watch this webinar and explore the advantages and structure of Altium 365 managed components.
Plug and Play Industrial Automation? It's Only a Matter of Time OnTrack Podcasts Plug and Play Industrial Automation? It's Only a Matter of Time We are pleased to host a thought-provoking conversation between Tech Consultant Zach Peterson and Dr. Philip Voglewede. They have a very intriguing conversation about the role of automation in the current and future industrial landscape.
PCB mask expansion How Much PCB Mask Expansion is Too Much? Solder mask expansion on a PCB can be set in your design rules to ensure sufficient copper is visible for soldering.
Stopping the Infiltration of Counterfeit Components Through AI Podcasts Cybord Analyzes the Authenticity, Quality, and Traceability Of Components With AI And Big Data This is a very exciting conversation. We will talk with Dr. Eyal Weiss about better, practical applications of AI in the electronics industry, outside of design.
Interfacing DDR Memory with AMD/Xilinx FPGAs Interfacing DDR Memory with AMD/Xilinx FPGAs Learn how to interface DDR memory with AMD/Xilinx FPGAs.
PCB footprint layers What's With All the Layers in PCB Footprints? Your PCB footprints contain many layers. Which of these layers are most important and what should they contain? We’ll explore in this article.
DIP component Does Anyone Still Use DIP Components? DIP components are less-often used in professional PCB design projects for new products, but legacy products may still need these parts.
How to Design a Bias Tee for a Power Amplifier How to Design a Bias Tee for a Power Amplifier Bias tees are used in some RF systems to separate AC and DC power along a particular line. Learn more about bias tee design in this article.
Inverted-F Antenna Inverted-F Antenna Design For a PCB Learn how to design an inverted-F antenna for an RF PCB layout.
IC Carrier PCB How to Design an IC Carrier PCB Carrier boards for integrated circuits can be used as interposers whenever there is an incorrect PCB land pattern.
Chip-on-Board PCB Design Rules for Chip-on-Board Layout There is one simple type of packaging that is not really packaging in the conventional sense: chip-on-board.
How do I Get Started with my Altium 365 Component Library? How Do I Get Started With My Altium 365 Component Library? In this article Ari Mahpour reviews how to put together a component library from scratch using Altium 365.
1:7:21 How To Import Libraries and Manage Components With Altium 365 Nothing causes more worries for a designer than the PCB components. Your mind probably starts racing whenever you send out
TVS Diode PCB Design Guidelines for Using TVS Diode for Transient Protection A TVS diode can help with your PCB layout withstand an ESD event by diverting surges away from protected components.
SMD pad size Best Methods for Calculating SMD Pad Size in PCB Design Component creation requires accurate SMD pad sizes in your PCB footprints. See how to determine pad sizes for your SMD components.
Footprint Creation Made Easy Footprint Creation Made Easy Learn how to create footprint with ease using the IPC Compliant Footprint Wizard, built-in to Altium Designer. In this guide, you’ll learn how to quickly create an example SOIC-8 footprint, including automatic generation of an accurate 3D model.
Cascaded transfer functions monte carlo Monte Carlo Analysis With Transfer Functions in Cascaded Circuits Pro circuit designers don’t just work with components in parallel and series when they design circuits. One way to build
BGA land pattern and BGA footprint What's In Your BGA Land Pattern and Footprint BGA land patterns aren’t always contained in a datasheet. If you need to create one of these, how large do you make the pads, solder mask, and fanout style? Learn more in this article.
PCB Solder mask expansion What Is Solder Mask Expansion and Which Value Should You Use? The solder stop mask layer caps off the PCB and provides a protective film over copper on the surface layers
Capacitor Dielectrics Guide to Ceramic Capacitor Dielectrics and Other Types Capacitor electrical behavior is determined, in part, by the capacitor dielectric. Learn all about capacitor dielectrics in this article.
Ferrite Core Selection and Design Decisions Ferrite Core Selection and Design Decisions When designing a transformer or using a ferrite core inductor, you must use the correct design process, and there is no substitution for real-world final testing. Let’s look at the process.
PCB silkscreen Thought Leadership PCB Silkscreen Guidelines PCB silkscreen helps ensure your board is easy to read and test, and it aids assembly by clearly indicating component locations.
Circuit Diagram Maker: Your Guide to Building with Altium Designer Online Circuit Block Diagram Maker: Your Guide to Building PCBs with Altium Designer Some PCB design software packages make you feel like you’ve been bamboozled. On one hand, you’re told that you’ll have
Step Up Into Altium Designer from PCAD Step Up Into Altium Designer from PCAD The original goal of PCAD, to give PCB designers the best tools possible, lives on today in Altium. Altium Designer
Altium Designer’s Free PCB Viewer Download Allows You to Explore Your BRD Files Altium Designer’s Free PCB Viewer Download Allows You to Explore Your BRD Files Today, it almost seems that there are as many PCB design file formats as there are PCB manufacturers. Using a
Designing with Shock Management for Avionics PCBs Designing with Shock Management for Avionics PCBs Of all the electronics application areas, there is one that needs to consider mechanical and thermal shocks during design: avionics
Customize Your PCB Drill Sizes With Altium Designer Customize Your PCB Drill Sizes With Altium Designer Every PCB will need some holes, vias, slots, and other features that are defined in a PCB layout. These features
Design Your Metal Core PCB in Altium Designer Design Your Metal Core PCB in Altium Designer Most printed circuit boards use a thick FR4 core layer to provide structural stability and interior copper layers for a
Leveraging the Free Footprint Community to Design at Lightning Speed Leveraging the Free Footprint Community to Design at Lightning Speed In this article, we reviewed a few different offerings of free footprint library resources for Altium Designer. We also briefly covered how to migrate those libraries to your Altium 365 Workspace.
Designing 5G Devices Designing 5G PCB Devices The next stage in the evolution of mobile telephony is here with the roll-out of 5G. The designer looking to
Estimating and Understanding Thermal Conductivity of PCBs Estimating and Understanding Thermal Conductivity of PCBs Your circuit board substrate and copper conductors are the primary factors that determine how heat will move around the board
A Review of PCB Thermal Resistance Management with Thermal Vias Design of PCBs and thermal management are intimately linked as thermal problems are known to significantly reduce the useful lifetime
PCB Thermal Resistance: Theory and Management PCB Thermal Resistance: Theory and Management The thermal conductivity of your PCB material stackup and arrangement of copper conductors are important factors that determine the thermal
Thermal Conductivity and Thermal Management for Printed Circuit Boards Thermal Conductivity and Thermal Management for Printed Circuit Boards The physical properties of your PCB substrates and copper conductors are the primary factors that determine how it will perform
How to Design with Thermal Pad vs. Paste in Your Circuit Board PCB Heat Sinks: Thermal Pad vs. Paste in Your Circuit Board Design Using thermal pads vs paste is an important decision when deciding how to best attach a heat sink to a
How to Design an AC to DC Converter Circuit in Altium Designer How to Design an AC to DC Converter Circuit in Altium Designer An AC-to-DC converter circuit does exactly as its name implies: it takes a harmonic AC input and converts it to
PCB Footprint Creation and Reuse with Altium 365 PCB Footprint Creation and Reuse with Altium 365 Many components come in standardized packages, but not all component manufacturers provide CAD models and schematic symbols in their PCB
Managing Symbol and PCB Footprint Libraries with Altium 365 Managing Symbol and PCB Footprint Libraries with Altium 365 When you need to collaborate on printed circuit design projects, you have a few options for sharing data. Your projects
Using Product Lifecycle Management Software for PCB Design Using Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) Components Software for PCB Design Any product, including circuit boards and electronic components, will become obsolete and must be replaced with completely new versions. If
Taking a Modular PCB Design Approach in Altium Designer PCB design is rarely discussed in terms of designing functional blocks or as connecting modules with different functionality. Simple designs
Sourcing Military PCB Components in a Unified Design Environment Sourcing PCB Military Grade Electronic Components in a Unified Design Environment Whether you are a procurement officer for the military, a prime contractor, or defense suppliers of electronic components, you’ll face
PCB Library and Supply Chain Integration in Altium Concord Pro PCB Library and Supply Chain Integration in Altium Concord Pro Altium Concord Pro™ as a standalone product and brand name has been discontinued and the capabilities are now available as
Connectors Benefit from Compatible ECAD/MCAD Tools Modeling and Placing PCB Connectors Within Altium Designer ALTIUM DESIGNER The most powerful, modern, and easy-to-use PCB design tool for professional use. I/O use connectors for PCB system
Sourcing Microelectronics for Military Systems Defense Industry Microcomponents and Microelectronics Defense contractors, military procurement officers, and contract manufacturers face a number of obstacles when designing and manufacturing PCBs for use
How to Keep Your 3D PCB Models Current with Data Management Tools How to Keep Your 3D PCB Models Current with Data Management Tools Any component includes a significant amount of design data. This includes electrical design data management software, electrical models, 3D PCB
Designing to Military Grade Electronics: PCB Specifications with Altium Designer Designing to Military Grade Electronics: PCB Specifications with Altium Designer Military-grade PCBs carry stringent performance, sourcing, and manufacturing requirements that are encoded in a number of standards. Preparing your next
Designing Physical Layer Security for Military PCBs in Altium Designer Designing Physical Layer Security for Military PCBs in Altium Designer PCBs for military systems are high performing beasts that must meet stringent design and performance standards. Military systems that store
Advanced Tools for Your Aluminum PCB Layout The Best Printed Circuit Board Design Software for Your Aluminum PCB Whether for thermal performance, electrical isolation, or mechanical strength, your aluminum PCB needs the precision of Altium Designer to meet
Create, Share, Collaborate, and View CAD Drawings with Altium Designer Create, Share, Collaborate, and View CAD Drawings with Altium Designer PCB design collaboration becomes seamless with a complete suite of design tools and a cloud platform for viewing CAD drawings
How the Best Integrated PCB Libraries Lower Development Costs How the Best Integrated PCB Libraries Compare Electronic Components to Lower Development Costs With development schedules becoming tighter and technology advancing at an ever faster pace, designers and engineers need tools that help
symbolic division Guidelines for Creating Useful PCB Schematic Symbols The PCB schematic symbols that you use to represent the components are at the heart of your schematic design. The
What They do not Teach you About Capacitors What They Don't Teach You About Capacitors In engineering, we often adopt hundreds of mental shortcuts in order to keep the complexity of the topics we tackle
Transmission Line and PCB Track Design Transmission Lines in PCB Track Design Digital designs fall broadly into two categories: low-speed and high-speed. The category “high speed” does not necessarily mean a high
How to Find the Transistor Parts You Need for Your Circuit Board How to Find the Transistor PCB Parts You Need for Your Circuit Board Design Transistors are vital components in power supplies, high-power ICs, and embedded systems, enabling efficient switching in electronics, sensors, and analog
PCB Relay Selection, Design, and Layout are Easy in Altium Designer PCB Relay Selection, Design, and Layout are Easy in Altium Designer Circuit protection is vital for user safety and for protecting a board from electrical damage. Whether you’re working with a
Spot Copper Connection Errors in Design Rule Checks Copper Connection Software: Instantly Check Every Connection With Rules-Driven PCB Design Tools It’s easy to find errors in most simple PCBs. Simply scan through your critical nets and trace each copper connection
Build Your Next LED PCB Design in Altium's Unified Environment Build Your Next LED PCB Design in Altium's Unified Environment LED driver boards can be challenging designs when running at high power and high voltage. Power systems for driving devices
PCB Developing: Preparing Your Circuit Board for a PCB Etching Service There are times where you don’t need to produce a finalized, silk-screened board at high volume, and you may only
Transition from Hobby PCB Maker to Professional Designer with Altium Transition from Hobbyist PCB Manufacturer to Professional Designer with Altium Most new designers start off with freeware when they need to create their first PCB designs, but free PCB design
Model Train Circuits in the Best Electronics Design Software Model Train Circuits in the Best Electronic Model Railroad Design Software Model train circuits include multiple elements that hobbyists might find in other common electronics. LEDs, buzzers, alarms, motors, and much
Underwater ROV Design and Component Selection Underwater ROV Design and Component Selection Underwater ROVs need to obey the same reliability standards as other high-performance, high uptime products like aerospace and military systems
How to Prepare Your Project for PCB Cart Manufacturing with Altium Designer How to Prepare Your Project for PCB Cart Manufacturing with Altium Designer The electronics industry is massive and there are plenty of PCB manufacturers to choose from for your next order. When
The Best High Voltage PCB Design Software Package The Best High Voltage PCB Design Software Package Of all the different boards a designer can create, a high voltage PCB design can be complicated and requires strict
Stay Productive When You Switch to Altium Designer Upgrade from AutoCAD PCB Design Software to Altium Designer's Unified Environment Most designers are familiar with AutoCAD electrical PCB design software for mechanical or construction drafting, and for making important engineering
Design Your Small Circuit Board in Altium Designer Design Your Small Circuit Board in Altium Designer Large circuit boards, small circuit boards, and anything in between might seem like they need separate sets of PCB layout
Working Through Circuit Simulation Free Often Won’t Work, Try Altium Designer Working Through Circuit Simulation for Free Often Won’t Work, Try Altium Designer Electronic Design Automation (EDA) software provides the tools that support the design and analysis of electronic devices, systems, and printed
Altium’s Parameter Table Editor Lets You Control Your Project Settings Altium’s Parameter Table Editor Lets You Control Your Project Settings There’s a lot of data that goes into any PCB design project. The design files and project files all have
Altium Designer Beats Any OEMSTrade Electronics Part Search Altium Designer Beats Any OEMSTrade Electronics Part Search Finding and sourcing new components for your design should be an easy process. Parts specifications can get very detailed, and
Build a Comprehensive Electronic Symbols Library in Altium Designer Build an Electronic PCB Schematic Symbols Library in Altium Designer Electronic symbols are the basis for the CAD documents you’ll create before you prepare a circuit board layout. An electronic
Design and Simulate Any Low Pass Filter Circuit for Your PCB Low Pass Filter Simulation for Your PCB Design Many engineers will do some basic calculations by hand in order to understand their filter and amplifier circuits. However, for
Managing Component Obsolescence with a Unified Data Solution Managing Component Parts Obsolescence with a Unified Data Solution Altium Concord Pro™ as a standalone product and brand name has been discontinued and the capabilities are now available as
Save Money and Keep PCB Costs Down with Consistent Documentation Tools Save Money and Keep PCB Pricing Down with Consistent Documentation Tools Calculating PCB costs requires professional PCB drawing tools with mechanical and electrical standards incorporated intelligently for aggressive pricing. But how
Include IC Pin Numbers in Your Altium Designer Parts Data Include IC Pin Numbers in Your Altium Designer Parts Data When you create components, you’ll really be creating 3 different CAD models: a schematic symbol, PCB footprint, and 3D model
Quickly Replicate Circuits with a Connection Room in Your PCB Layout Quickly Replicate Circuits with a Connection Room in Your PCB Layout Modern PCB designs can get very complex, and designers need tools to help them stay organized. Schematic sheets are a
SnapEDA Google for Electronic Components with Natasha Baker OnTrack Podcasts SnapEDA Google for Electronic Components with Natasha Baker Natasha joins us to discuss the origin of SnapEDA, its free automated part builder, Instabuild, and what transparency means to engineering.
PCB 3D Design Software Helps You Build Advanced Products PCB 3D Circuit Design Software Helps You Build Advanced Products New products are intimately designed to fit their enclosures, and getting the design right takes the right set of PCB
Adding Arduino Boards to Your Integrated Components Libraries Adding Arduino Boards to Your Integrated Components Libraries An Arduino board is a great way to include standard functionality in your next PCB. If you want to use
Designing Capacitive Touch Sensor PCBs in Altium Designer Designing Capacitive Touch Sensor PCBs in Altium Designer If you’re familiar with the way smartphones and other devices with touch screens work, then you’re already familiar with capacitive
Component Parameters Describe Features of a Part Component Parameters Describe Features of a Part Component parameters define features of electronic parts necessary to meet form, fit, and function within the design for use across
Altium PCB Special Strings Elegantly Designed for Intuitive Use During Layout Altium PCB Special Strings Elegantly Designed for Intuitive Use During Layout Placing PCB special strings is commonplace within Altium’s workspace with direct access to predefined, and custom, special strings in the
Making the Switch from Proteus to Altium Designer for PCB Design Making the Switch from Proteus PCB Design to Altium Designer With so many PCB design software packages on the market, you need design software that is adaptable to any design
Clone and Modify an Arduino Mega Schematic in Altium Designer Clone and Modify an Arduino Mega PCB Schematic in Altium Designer There are many different Arduino boards available for development and prototyping, and you might consider designing your own Arduino PCB
The Best PCB Layout & Design Software for Your Needs The Best PCB Layout & Design Software for Your Needs When designing circuit boards, there are some functions that your PCB (printed circuit board) design tools must excel at without
Circuit CAD Software for PCB Design Circuit CAD Software for PCB Design Altium Designer is the complete circuit CAD software for PCB design. Altium Designer unifies capabilities from CAD PCB design software to help you complete challenging designs.
Altium Designer’s Board Layout Software Altium Designer’s Board Layout Software Handling the ever-growing complexities of today’s routing demands requires board layout software that can keep up. When yesterday’s tools are
Why Altium Designer Will Give You Better Results Over OrCAD Why Altium Designer Will Give You Better Results Over OrCAD A free download of software and a fancy demo can make PCB design tools seem very attractive. You owe it
Design Your PCB Stackup with Altium Designer Design Your PCB Stackup with Altium Designer Your PCB stackup is the backbone of your circuit board, directly impacting how signals behave. Signals rely on internal plane
Auto-Interactive Routing Gives You More Control The Altium PCB Auto Router: The Best PCB Automated Routing Tool Routing traces on your printed circuit board is that critical step during layout that creates the connectivity and functionality your
The PCB Design Process Methodology and Application The PCB Design Process Methodology and Application Your next great idea probably started on a piece of notebook paper. How do you go about taking your great
Easily Create Your PCB Solder Mask in Altium Designer Easily Create Your PCB Solder Mask Layer in Altium Designer You’ve just finished the electrical layout of your board and now you are working through the final steps to prepare
Use PCB Routing Tools With an Integrated Trace Length Calculator Use PCB Routing Tools With an Integrated Trace Length Matching Calculator If you’re a mechanical or electrical designer, you need CAD tools that provide accurate trace length and geometry calculations. Once
Schematic Drawing Software and PCB Layout Tools in Altium Designer Free Schematic Drawing Software and PCB Layout Tools in Altium Designer Every circuit board starts with circuit diagrams and schematic sheets. Your schematic capture software takes your component and footprint data
Best Software for PCB Design and Manufacturability (DFM) Guidelines Best Software for PCB Design and Manufacturability (DFM) Guidelines Getting your circuit board to manufacturing requires following certain manufacturability guidelines. Once you gain an understanding of DFM standards, you
Altium Rigid-flex Guidebook: Your Complete Design Guide Flex and Rigid-Flex PCB Design Guidelines and Assembly in Altium Designer Many electronic devices don’t live on a single printed circuit board. Flex and rigid-flex PCBs are used to link multiple
The Best Schematic Design Program for PCBs The Best Schematic CAD Software for PCBs PCB design begins with a schematic, where you turn your design ideas into working circuits. When you use the right
How to Build a Circuit Board With Altium’s PCB Design Software How Are Circuit Boards Made With Altium Designer Your printed circuit board (PCB) design might be designed to work correctly, but you also need to make sure it
1:44 Look No Further than Altium Designer for the Best PCB Design Software When it’s time to buy new PCB design software, you only want to buy the best of the best, and
Create Your PCB Design Workflow for Military Systems in Altium Designer Military PCB Assembly and Workflow in Altium Designer No matter which industry or vertical you work in, you’ll need to follow important design, performance, and manufacturability standards. These
The Best PCB Design Software Features a PCB Trace Impedance Calculator The Best PCB Design Software Features a PCB Trace Width and Impedance Calculator PCB trace width, pad, and via features are some of the most important aspects of your circuit board's performance and
The Best High Speed Design Tools in Altium Designer The Best High Speed Design Software Tools in Altium Designer Building your next high-speed PCB takes the best design and analysis tools. Your high-speed design tools should make it easy
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Chris Carlson's Time Saving Tips for PCB Design Newsletters OnTrack Podcasts Chris Carlson's Time Saving Tips for PCB Design In this podcast episode, Chris Carlson, Senior Field Application Engineer at Altium, shares the kind of indispensable PCB design tips & tricks one can only get with 23-years of experience! Watch now!
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Operational Process Improvements and PCB Data Management Operational Process Improvements and PCB Data Management Is it practical or indulgent to look at exactly how the principles of good PCB Data Management can and should
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Navigating the Complexities of Component Libraries and Data Management Newsletters OnTrack Navigating the Complexities of Component Libraries and Data Management Keeping your component libraries and data organized, accurate and optimized for team use is critical for all engineers and PCB
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Strength of BOM Applications for Everything from Hobby Boards to Large Systems Thought Leadership Strength of BOM Applications for Everything from Hobby Boards to Large Systems I’m currently building a new tool shed and I was fortunate enough to find some plans for exactly what I
How PCB Library Organization Expands Design Capabilities Thought Leadership How PCB Library Organization Expands Design Capabilities A popular children’s cartoon featured a superhero called the “Masked Retriever” who had a real job as an ordinary librarian
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PCB Component Data Management Resolved with Connected Component Applications Thought Leadership PCB Component Data Management Resolved with Connected Component Applications My mouth was watering as I picked up the box sitting on my front porch. Dinner would be ready in
Scaling, Not Sinking Your Electronics: BOM Management Advice Scaling, Not Sinking Your Electronics: BOM Management Advice The most stressful part of owning a boat was when it came time to launch or recover it from the
7 Benefits of Bringing Additive Manufacturing In-House Thought Leadership 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
Inventors Should Spend Time Designing and Less Time Writing a Bill of Materials Thought Leadership Inventors Should Spend Time Designing and Less Time Writing a Bill of Materials There’s a beautiful sense of satisfaction that comes with building something great. You took the time to think through the
Electronic Product Life Cycle Management Avoids Unpredicted Application Results Thought Leadership Electronic Product Life Cycle Management Avoids Unpredicted Application Results Everyone has a smartphone these days. Well, everyone except my grandparents. They still use clamshell phones and perfectly happy with
Ease the Pain of Your PCB Supply Chain Management with Intuitive Design Tools Thought Leadership 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
Ducks in a Row: Process Control and Document Traceability in One Place Thought Leadership 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
Obsolescence Management of Electronic Components Throughout Product Lifetime Thought Leadership Obsolescence Management of Electronic Components Throughout Product Lifetime I know what you’re thinking. Why can’t my manager automate a process for obsolescence management of electronic components? It would
Using Platform Unification Removes Need for BOM Analysis Thought Leadership Using Platform Unification Removes Need for BOM Analysis One of my friends laments that her husband has three versions of the same flat-head screwdriver. He doesn’t put his
How an Integrated PCB Library Can Reduce Development Cost Thought Leadership 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
Successfully Source Your PCB's Electronic Parts With a Great BOM Thought Leadership Great BOM Tools for Successfully Sourcing Your PCB Electronic Components Use your bill of materials for sourcing and supply chain management My friends think I’m neurotic for making so many
BOM Planning for Different Levels of Production Thought Leadership 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
Unifying a Comprehensive Collection: PCB Library Management Thought Leadership 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
Add Any Component to Your Design With Unified Component Libraries Thought Leadership 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
Managing Your PCB Design Through BOM Planning: What’s Important Thought Leadership Managing Your PCB Design Through BOM Planning: What’s Important Back in my younger days, I was infatuated with Legos. Every chance I had, I would run into the toy
PCB Design BOM Planning: A Balancing Act Thought Leadership PCB Design BOM Planning: A Balancing Act The balancing act of knowing how much or little info is needed when designing your BOM is often convoluted and
Optimizing PCB Panelization Can Reduce Costs and Increase Yield Thought Leadership Optimizing PCB Panelization Can Reduce Costs and Increase Yield Once you have finished designing your board, you are probably ready to move on to the manufacturing stage. Back in
Get the Help you Need Selecting PCB Components with Bill of Materials Software Thought Leadership Get the Help you Need Selecting PCB Components with Bill of Materials Software I’m in the middle of replacing the electric motor in my bathroom fan, but, unfortunately, I have no idea what
PCB Fabrication and Assembly Processes and Where Wave Soldering Fits In Thought Leadership PCB Fabrication and Assembly Processes and Where Wave Soldering Fits In Growing up, I sometimes felt like an Army brat. My dad was in the Air Force, not the Army and
Manually Creating Component Footprint 4 Steps on How to Create a Component Footprint in Altium Designer When laying out your printed circuit board, it is critical that you know how to create footprint for your design
Automating Your BOM System for PCB CAD Library Quality and Compliance Thought Leadership 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
Using a BOM Tool Enables You to Create Your Design with Confidence Thought Leadership Using a BOM Tool Enables You to Create Your Design with Confidence My dog is so old that he sleeps 20 hours a day and naps the other four. Therefore it was
Put the Power of a BOM Template to Work for You Thought Leadership Put the Power of a BOM Template to Work for You One of the dictionary definitions of the word “template” is; anything that determines or serves as a pattern or a
Remote BOM Access Makes Work as Easy as Hitting a Button Thought Leadership 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
Single-Sided Versus Double-Sided PCB Costs Are Necessary Comparisons Thought Leadership Difference Between Single-Sided and Double-Sided PCBs: Necessary Costs Comparisons Duck hunters cherish their favorite call. With hundreds of available calls at our fingertips, choosing the right call can challenge
BOM Control: Setting up your PCB Documentation for Success Thought Leadership BOM Control: Setting up your PCB Documentation for Success Years ago I ventured into the world of remote control helicopters. Not the ready-to-fly-out-of-the-box drones that they sell today, but
Bill of Materials Management Strategies: Automation is Your Friend Thought Leadership Bill of Materials Management Strategies: Automation is Your Friend When I was a boy I really enjoyed reading the “Alfred Hitchcock and the Three Investigators” mystery books. These books
How to Create a Bill of Materials That Meets Your Needs Thought Leadership How to Create a Bill of Materials That Meets Your Needs Sometimes when pressed to answer a question that I’m not prepared for like, “what do you want for your birthday”
Putting Constraints to Work for You in Your Circuit Routing Software Thought Leadership Putting Constraints to Work for You in Your Circuit Routing Software When I was a kid, my parents had a 1955 Oldsmobile Super 88 Holiday. What a great car. As an
Optimizing Your BOM for Rapid Prototype Manufacturing Thought Leadership BOM Optimization for Rapid Prototype Manufacturing Your BOM can make your manufacturing speeds, especially if you want your prototyping to be done quick and smooth.
Create a BOM That Works for Everyone Thought Leadership Create a BOM That Works for Everyone For me, socks have always been about utility: they keep my feet from getting blisters. Yet for years I have
Pass The Baton Well to PCB Design Successors Thought Leadership Pass The Baton Well to PCB Design Successors Have you ever walked into a new job, first-day energy rolling through your shoulders, only to sit down and look
Bill of Materials for PCB: Part Number System and Organization, or Packing Tetris? Thought Leadership Bill of Materials for PCB: Part Numbering Systems and Organization, or Packing Tetris? It would be great if spending a day at the beach didn’t require gathering towels and chairs, fixing lunch, and
Your PCB Bill of Materials Report Can Be So Much More Than a Simple Statement Thought Leadership Your PCB Bill of Materials Report Can Be So Much More Than a Simple Statement I just finished going through my bank balances and I am very grateful for the online utilities that my bank
No Icebergs Here, Captain! Board Rule Checking for Bill of Materials Management Thought Leadership No Icebergs Here, Captain! Board Rule Checking for Bill of Materials Management You know the story of RMS Titanic and how just before midnight on April 14th, 1912, it struck an iceberg
Instructions Are Easy When You Write Them: The PCB Assembly Drawing Thought Leadership Instructions Are Easy When You Write Them: The PCB Assembly Drawing learn about the basics of assembly drawing.
How Multi-Level BOMs Can Organize Your Next System Design Thought Leadership How Multi-Level BOMs Can Organize Your Next System Design If only packing for vacation were as simple as it sounds: figure out what clothes you need, throw them in
Using Obsolescence Management Software to Avoid Surprises with Obsolete Parts Thought Leadership Using Obsolescence Management Tools and Software to Avoid Surprises with Obsolete Parts Recently I helped with a plumbing problem at my mother-in-law’s house. A fixture had started to leak and water was
Using Bill of Material Management to Prevent Problems with Moisture Sensitive Devices Thought Leadership Using Bill of Material Management to Prevent Problems with Moisture Sensitive Devices Up here in the Pacific Northwest we are once again in the rainy season. My family doesn’t like it, my
How Online BOM Management Helps Build Teamwork Thought Leadership How Online BOM Management Helps Build Teamwork Last week one of my co-workers, a brilliant guy named Phil, quit his job for a position in another company
Why You Should Include Mechanical Parts in Your Bill of Materials Template Thought Leadership Why You Should Include Mechanical Parts in Your Bill of Materials Template Have you ever put together a project where there weren’t enough to finish the job? I have, and I know
Considerations for PCB Circuit Design: Why PCB Labeling is Important Thought Leadership Considerations for PCB Circuit Design: Why PCB Labels are Important Checklists are an important part of life. Airline pilots use them to make sure that they’ve put the wheels down
PCB Designer Responsibilities: How to Manage Engineering and Manufacturing Expectations Thought Leadership PCB Designer Responsibilities: How to Manage Engineering and Manufacturing Expectations My wife works at an elementary school, and the thing she dislikes the most is when she has to put
How PCB BOM Management Tools fit into a Paperless Manufacturing BOM System Thought Leadership How PCB BOM Management Tools fit into a Paperless Manufacturing BOM Software My wife is an avid reader, and we have a large selection of her favorite books filling the bookshelves in
Obsolescence Information Management for PCB BOM Maintenance Thought Leadership Obsolescence Information Management for PCB BOM Maintenance In my home laboratory, the garage, I have many bins. One contains small springs, another gear-motors, yet another small bolts
PCB BOM Creation as a Living Document Thought Leadership PCB BOM Creation as a Living Document The other day my son bought himself a new phone because the navigator in his old phone was defective. Every
Bill of Materials Inventory Management and the Benefits of an Online Parts Request System Thought Leadership Bill of Materials Inventory Management and the Benefits of an Online Parts Request Documentation Systems I once asked a family member to borrow some money to use as a down payment. His response included a
Important Considerations in Your Embedded System's Master-Slave Communication Model Thought Leadership Important Considerations in Your Embedded System's Master-Slave Communication Model It can take a few weeks or months to finish a working prototype of an embedded system. Sometimes I would
The Importance of Compliance Awareness in Circuit and PCB Design Thought Leadership The Importance of Compliance Awareness in Circuit and PCB Design I had an English professor once who was a lot of fun, but man, his requirements for essay writing were
How to Plan Ahead to Meet PCB Disposal Requirements Thought Leadership How to Plan Ahead to Meet PCB Disposal Requirements When I was a kid and learned to solder, I had a mentor that kept an old coffee can on
How PCB BOM Management Tools Facilitate Efficient Communication Between Departments Thought Leadership How PCB BOM Management Tools Facilitate Efficient Communication Between Departments Many years ago, I was a junior PCB learning the ropes of the trade in a large company. To help
Bill of materials in Supply chain management: Part inventory control Thought Leadership Bill of Materials in Supply Chain Management: Part Inventory Control Sending information to other departments and personnel is a regular part of the PCB design process. For purchasing, their part
How PCB BOM Management Can Reduce Delays in Manufacturing Thought Leadership PCB BOM Management: Spend Less Time on Your BOM and Reduce Delays in Manufacturing Real-time solutions with management tools Cafeterias in colleges, summer camps, and schools are often known for serving up food that
PCB Circuit Design Tips: Standard vs. Specialized Component Selection Thought Leadership PCB Circuit Design Tips: Standard vs. Specialized Component Selection in PCB Design As a kid, I was fascinated by hovercrafts. These nearly frictionless vehicles go from land to water without pause and
BOM Management Tools and Real Time Part Access: How It Will Help Your PCB Design for Manufacturability Thought Leadership PCB BOM Management Tools and Real Time Part Access: How It Will Help Your Design for Manufacturability Have you ever been so ready to take off on a new project that you can’t wait to jump into
PCB Design and BOM Management: How to Ensure Profitability in Low Volume Manufacturing Thought Leadership Circuit Board Design and BOM Management in Low Volume PCB Assembly What’s the difference between Angry Birds and SpongeBob? I’m probably at an age where I shouldn’t be caring about these
PCB Layout Constraints That Help Manage Component Obsolescence Thought Leadership PCB Layout Constraints That Help Manage Component Obsolescence Just about everyone in the world of engineering has heard some variation of the “Iron Triangle” theory. It’s a popular
The Benefits of Having an Automated Bill of Materials in Project Management Thought Leadership BOM Automation: The Benefits of Having an Automated Bill of Materials in Project Management I have some friends who founded a startup company to create and market a brilliant new product. Their product quickly
Flywheel and Flyback Diodes Prevent Electrical Noise in Circuits Thought Leadership Using Flyback Diodes in Relays Prevents Electrical Noise in Your Circuits What is a flyback diode, and how does a flyback diode protect a circuit? When used properly, flyback diodes can reduce electrical noise and prevent flyback voltages from building up.
How a Bill of Materials Can Improve Your Supply Chain Management Thought Leadership The Benefits of a Bill of Materials In Supply Chain Management Some of the most complicated engineering projects I’ve worked on were made up of multiple layers of sub-assemblies. Before we
BOM Part Number Management: Why It Should Be Automated Thought Leadership BOM Part Number Management: Why It Should Be Automated If you’ve ever worked with high voltages or have designed a high voltage circuit, you know that they always require
What Materials to Include in Your Bill of Materials Thought Leadership What Materials to Include in Your Bill of Materials As an electrical engineer, I am constantly impressed with the brilliant designs my colleagues come up with. I’m also constantly
Why Designing a High Voltage PCB for Rapid Prototyping Is More Effective Than Rushing to Form Factor Thought Leadership Why Designing a High Voltage PCB for Rapid Prototyping Is More Effective Than Rushing to Form Factor Remember that fable we all were told as kids about the tortoise and the hare? The moral of the story
Designing Controller PCBs Thought Leadership Designing General PCB Controller for your Circuit Board Layout I always thought that to be successful you need to emulate the success of others. When I started my career
How NASA Plans to Use 3D Printed Circuit Board Technology Thought Leadership How NASA Plans to Use 3D PCB Technology and Designs for Space Missions Editorial credit: Tony Craddock / Shutterstock.com Have you noticed how a 3D model has become a phenomenon? People seem to
Important Features to Consider When You're Comparing PCB Design Software Thought Leadership Important Features to Consider When You're Comparing and Recomparing PCB Design Software Anyone who knows me knows that I hate shopping. This is as true for lab equipment and software as it
Altium Vault Design And Library Migration Guide Guide Books Altium Vault Design And Library Migration Guide LIBRARIES AND DATA This guide provides insight into design project migration into Altium Vault. Library Management in Altium Vault is
Altium Vault Evaluation Guide Guide Books Altium Vault Evaluation Guide To learn more about this topic please see the full solution - Evaluating Altium Vault - at Altium.com.
Data Management in Four Steps Data Management in Four Steps When it comes to electronics design, data management is at the bottom of most engineers’ priority list. When you first
Design Data: Organize to Optimize Design Data: Organize to Optimize You’re Only as Strong as Your Weakest Link As engineers, we tend to focus on the end technology and forget
Professional PCB Design Data Professional PCB Design Data Your PCB design is like a novel. The words of that novel are the buildings blocks you use. You wouldn’t
Complete Component Library Management for PCB Design Data Complete Component Library Management for PCB Design Data Complete Management Components are the basic building blocks of designs and even the slightest discrepancy can derail your whole design
Choosing the Best Communication Configuration for Your IoT Device Network Thought Leadership 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
SpaceX to Launch Modular Falcon Rocket with Reused Engines Thought Leadership SpaceX to Launch Modular Falcon Rocket with Reused Engines Modular, reusable design is a design methodology that demands serious consideration. SpaceX have put the associated advantages to work with
The Challenges Of Library Management Whitepapers The Challenges Of Library Management While there are many paths that can lead to a product failure, such as the challenge of managing a globally
The Challenges Of ECAD Library Management The Challenges Of ECAD Library Management Implementing a proper system for ECAD data management enhances team productivity and efficiency to help you deliver products on time
Creating 3D Component Bodies in a Footprint Library Thought Leadership PCB Design: Create 3D Component in a Footprint Library In today’s PCB design process, your design and CAD tool needs to be able to integrate mechanical design workflows into
The Wild West of PCB Design - Part Choice Showdown The Wild West of PCB Design - Part Choice Showdown Does your part selection process ever feel like a wild west showdown, where every stakeholder is out to protect their
6 Things for Your PCB Design Library Thought Leadership 6 Things to Have in Your Team’s PCB Design Library Components form the building blocks of our Printed Board designs, and making the right component selections can make or break
Using Configuration Management to Reduce Design Errors and Promote Re-use: Part 1 Using Configuration Management to Reduce Design Errors and Promote Re-use: Part 1 A Configuration Management system can be used, along with an existing Design Data Management system, to further promote good data
How to use Schematic CAD Drawings for Cable Assemblies: Part 2 How to use Schematic CAD Drawings for Cable Assemblies: Part 2 The need to design cable assembly drawings often falls to the electronics design team, but for many, the use of
How to use Schematic CAD Drawings for Cable Assemblies: Part 1 How to use Schematic CAD Drawings for Cable Assemblies: Part 1 The need for computer-aided cable assembly drawings often falls to the electronics design team, but for many, the use of
Practical Steps to Create Embedded Side-Emitting LEDs in a PCB Practical Steps to Create Embedded Side-Emitting LEDs in a PCB Embedded PCB cavities can be used along the edge of a PCB to provide side access to components, such as LEDs.
What's in a Name - Component Development Part 2 Engineering News What's in a Name - Component Code Development Part 2 In this blog, I outline how Altium Designers Content Team names printed circuit board (PCB) components, symbols, and footprints. This
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What's the best way to make a library searchable? Parameters - Component Development Part 3 Thought Leadership What's the best way to make a library searchable? Parameters - Component Development Part 3 It's one thing to make great components, but it's quite another to make them easy to find. With reusable components
How to Save Time Managing Your Component Libraries Thought Leadership How to Save Time Managing Your Component Libraries ​ Component management is a time-consuming and frustrating process that takes valuable time away from other important tasks, but what
Defining PCB Library Types and Methodologies for Your Design Process PCB Libraries: Defining Library Types and Methodologies for Your Design Process There are various PCB library types and methodologies out there, and selecting which to implement into your design process depends
Supply Chain Management: Ensure Component Availability at Design Time Thought Leadership Supply Chain Management: Ensure Component Availability at Design Time Component availability can result in missed deadlines or render a design unproducible. Learn how to the supply chain management capabilities
How to Easily Reverse Engineer PCB Project Libraries Reverse Engineering PCB Project Libraries Receiving PCB design files from clients isn’t always as smooth a process. Clients may send incomplete project files, project library
Creating Project Libraries from the Schematic Creating Project Libraries from the Schematic When you are using an outside manufacturer or sharing a design with another party that does not have access to
New User's Guide to Defining a Library Methodology Guide Books New User's Guide to Defining a Library Methodology When choosing a PCB library methodology, there is no universal solution for all users. While some small business users may
Customize BOM Reports for Consistent Documentation Whitepapers Customize BOM Reports for Consistent Documentation Learn how to clearly communicate proper board assembly with multiple variants with BOM customization in Altium Designer. Upon completion of
Quickly Create Project Libraries from the Schematic Whitepapers Quickly Create Project Libraries from the Schematic Learn how to quickly create project libraries from the schematic for easy external sharing using the Parameter Manager in Altium
Design Data Management Part 2 — The Supply Chain Whitepapers Design Data Management Part 2 — The Supply Chain Learn how to verify PCB component availability and pricing directly from your design environment in Altium Designer. To learn more
Reverse Engineering Project Libraries Whitepapers Reverse Engineering Project Libraries Outsourcing has become the de-facto solution for companies seeking to cut costs and increase their profit margins. Rather than consuming
Standardize Your Component Libraries with Component Templates (Vault Component Template) Whitepapers Standardize Your Component Libraries with Component Templates (Vault Component Template)
Unifying Your Component Management Workflow (Design Data Mgmt) Whitepapers Unifying Your Component Management Workflow (Design Data Mgmt) Unify component management for better design data management. No more main components on backorder, or worse yet, in obsolescence! This
Enhancing Your Design Efficiency with Project Templates Whitepapers Enhancing Your Design Efficiency with Project Templates HIERARCHICAL SCHEMATIC DESIGN IN ALTIUM DESIGNER New Altium Designer users may not fully understand the benefits of organizing schematic sheets