John Watson on Finishing the Schematic Template and Entering Parameters

Created: December 9, 2018
Updated: March 16, 2020

Learn How Altium Supports PCB Designers

Related Resources

Using an IPC-2152 Calculator: Designing to Standards If you look at modern EDA programs, there are many calculators and simulators built into these applications. But one of the areas of simulation that has lagged behind everything else is thermal simulations. Thermal calculations are important particularly in power electronics, and in high-reliability electronics, even if these systems are running lower overall power. There are other instances where we can determine the potential need for an Read Article

How to Become a PCB Designer in Today’s World For the engineer that likes to solve puzzles, create something physical, and appreciates electronics, PCB design as a career might be right for you. Even if you're not a PCB designer or layout engineer, and instead you want to work as an electrical engineer, there is still room for you to work with PCB designers. Today's teams are multifunctional and they need to collaborate across disciplines. It's better to think of electronics development Read Article

Using an IPC-2221 Calculator for High Voltage Design

Using an IPC-2221 PCB Clearance Calculator for High Voltage Design PCB design and assembly standards aren’t there to constrain your productivity. Instead, they’re there to help create uniform expectations of product designs and performance across multiple industries. With standardization comes the tools for compliance, such as calculators for certain design aspects, processes for auditing and inspection, and much more. In high voltage PCB design, the important generic standard for PCB design is IPC-2221. Many Read Article

Gigabit Ethernet 101: Basics to Implementation This guide is what you are looking for if you’re ready to add ethernet, especially gigabit ethernet, to your electronic circuit design and need to get up to speed. Read Article

Switching Units From MM to Mils and Other PCB Design Measurement Preferences Your PCB layout needs to be an accurate reflection of your final design and should follow a specified unit scale. Inside Altium Designer, there are simple ways to set units as you work on the PCB layout, as well as in the schematic where circuits are being created. The short guide below shows how to switch from mm to mil in the Schematic Editor and in the PCB Editor. Users can do this live (while working on the PCB layout) or from the Preferences Read Article

How to Design Efficient High-Density Interconnect PCBs using Buried and Blind Vias

How to Design High-Density PCBs While Managing Buried and Blind Vias The modern is always being pushed to go smaller and cheaper. Blind and buried vias can help you save space and money on your high density PCB layout (HDI). Blind and buried vias help reduce outer layer usage, leaving more room for SMTs and BGA breakout channels. Read on to find out more! Moore’s Law predicts that the number of transistors in integrated circuits (ICs) will double approximately every two years. This law has held true since 1965 Read Article

When to Use PCB Thermal Pads or Paste for Thermal Management Design It’s rare that one will offhandedly know which thermal interface material will work the best for their PCB thermal pad. This article weighs the advantages and disadvantages of thermal pads vs. pastes with these helpful guidelines. Read on to find out more about thermal management and thermal design! I used to live in Alabama, which I casually referred to as Hell in the summertime. Lots of heat, lots of humidity, lots of sweat. I am thankful Read Article

How the Evolution of PCB Design Has Allowed SpaceX's Visions to Take Flight

How the Evolution of Space Mission PCB Design Has Allowed SpaceX's Visions to Take Flight

Today, the new frontiers of spaceflight are explored by SpaceX. SpaceX is an ambitious venture to create a new reusable launch system and, ultimately, interplanetary travel. The most visible of these efforts is the Falcon series of rockets. Designed with the goals of reusability and reduced costs, the Falcon series is engineered around ease of manufacturing and assembly. What role does today’s printed circuit board technology, and the computing

Read Article

Altium Designer 16 Is Now Available Altium Designer^® 16 is here! This release is available now as a free upgrade to all Altium Subscription customers and can be downloaded on the Altium Products Download page. Not an Altium Subscription customer? Contact our support team now to upgrade. This release is all about tapping into your true design potential and includes powerful new features to accelerate your PCB design workflow. From productivity-focused enhancements to intelligent Read Article

New PDN Analysis Extension Now Available for Altium Designer Read about a new extension for Altium Designer^® that allows you to efficiently optimize your at design time. With digital designs continuing to increase in density and complexity, it’s more difficult and critical than ever to fully understand the impact of design decisions on your Power Distribution Network () voltage and current performance. Rather than treating issues as a post-design afterthought in a physical prototype, you need a way to Read Article

Back to Home