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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 high-cost dedicated cable design software is simply out of reach and overkill. The solution? Use the Schematic Editor! Most electronic engineers work on products that require Printed Circuit Board designs to be interconnected by cable assemblies. As you might have already noticed, some dedicated tools that primarily focus on Read Article
Putting managed content to the test Putting managed content to the test The release of Altium Live along with the Shanghai and Hobart managed content services marks a significant shift in the way electronic product development should be done. The concept of managed content services using cloud publishing is new to our industry - I mean, it has been sort-of tried before by others but never successfully executed. I believe we now have the right solution. At this time, as more and more users connect to AltiumLive and Read Article
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. Read Article
How to download and install AD10 when using proxy servers How to download and install AD10 when using proxy servers The latest version of Altium Designer® 10 can be installed directly from the Software section of AltiumLive. However, your computer’s network settings, particularly the use of proxy servers, can sometimes cause problems with the install process. Here’s how to find out if you’re likely to have proxy server issues and how to work around them. The latest version of Altium 10 can be installed directly from the Software section of AltiumLive. However Read Article
A cloudy focus A Cloudy Focus There’s been some discussion on our new Forum about our plans for “all this cloudy stuff”. Some of you have asked why we have this focus. Some have questioned why we’re bothering when we can’t “even fix the so-and-so bug in the so-and-so editor in Altium Designer® ”. I think our response to this is to remind everyone that this is not about the software, but about what you do with it. It’s not about AltiumLive, but how you exploit AltiumLive Read Article
Improving support for users - and investing in support AEs Improving support for users - and investing in support AEs Many of you who’ve contacted Altium’s North American support team over the past two years may have noticed some changes. Notably, there were times when it was hard to get a live body on the other end of the phone, although generally once you did the advice you got was solid. For those users who resorted to emailing the team or logging a case through the support center (feel free to continue this practice), the wait time for a response could get Read Article
What's in a Name - Component Development Part 2 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 seems like an eminently boring place to start, but something I’ve noticed is that figuring out a way to name circuit board components in engineering land often makes for an animated discussion. Parametric information about the component is elevated to the row in the cmplib. This gives us the freedom to name the Read Article
Creative use of flexible tools Creative Use of Flexible Tools A question came up on the forums today asking how to make a design rule in Altium Designer® to check for silkscreen clearance to the board outline. Knowing that there is no direct method to achieve this, I had to get creative. A question came up on the forums today asking how to make a design rule in Altium to check for silkscreen clearance to the board outline. Knowing that there is no direct method to achieve this, I had to take step back and Read Article
Component Development best practices - Part 1 Component Development best practices - Part 1 During the coming weeks, we’d like to post details about our PCB component development standards, practices and processes. Along the way, I’d like open discussion about how you develop libraries, and where do you see challenges. We’d like to pull everything together into more formal best practices and standards guide. With solder paste, a solder mask, printed circuit assembly, and PCB fabrication, there is so much to consider so let's dig in! Hi Read Article
Altium Vault Technology - A Foundation for the Management of Design Data Altium Vault Technology - A Foundation for the Management of Design Data A look at Altium's new Technology from the perspective of a tech writer in the trenches! A standalone solution, this technology provides a key foundation element, arguably the backbone, of Altium’s Design Data Management System. As a technical writer at Altium, my job entails its fair share of exciting new challenges. Having to keep abreast of cutting edge new features and functionality is, as the saying goes, my ‘bread and butter’. To say that Read Article
AltiumLive - this time it's personal! AltiumLive - this time it's personal! Altium product manager Rob Irwin shares some personal thoughts on AltiumLive and its significance to electronics design. As many of you know, Altium recently acquired Morfik, a developer of software tools used to create web applications. On the surface it’s a puzzling match up. Altium makes tools to design and develop electronic devices. Morfik makes tools to develop web stuff. Where’s the synergy? I must confess that at first I was struggling to Read Article
All you need to know about AltiumLive All you need to know about AltiumLive An introduction to AltiumLive and the cool new community applications that are available for you to use. AltiumLive is an online extension of your Altium Designer® software for PCB designs. It is a place where you can connect, engage and exchange values and ideas with the broader Altium Designer community. It’s also a mechanism that keeps you up to date with the latest device support, features, updates and online services. AltiumLive Forum The Read Article
AltiumLive - FAQs AltiumLive - FAQs Your AltiumLive questions - answered! The following is a list of Frequently Asked Questions, the answers for which are all aimed at getting you up-and-running with AltiumLive. OK, I'll ask it. What is the underlying purpose of AltiumLive? The key objective of AltiumLive, through its Forums, BugCrunch and the recognition program, is community building. We want to have a community that is rich in knowledge and expertise, and full of members who are Read Article
Software development streams - the natural evolution of our business Software development streams - the natural evolution of our business The software engineering industry is a bit of an ugly duckling when it comes to release cycles. For reasons of traceability, validation, verification, and marketing, most software packages are built to a certain level of completeness and then released with much fanfare. But is this how we should do things in the future? Software development streams - the natural evolution of our business The embedded software engineering industry is a bit of an Read Article
Safeguard designs with source control Safeguard designs with source control In this Blog entry I'll show you how to get started with version control by installing the popular and free Subversion version control engine, and setting up Altium Designer® to work with it. In this Blog entry I’ll show you how to get started with version control by installing the popular and free Subversion version control engine, and setting up Altium to work with it. Altium is one of the first electronics design systems to tap into the Read Article
Design custom NanoBoard peripheral boards – Pt2 Design custom NanoBoard peripheral boards – Pt2 Last month, we discussed how to get started on custom peripheral board designs by building a template from the PB30 reference design. This month, with an example prototype peripheral board in hand, we look at the process of registration using the 1-Wire bus EPROM which holds the board’s identity and allows Altium Designer® to automatically configure FPGA projects that use the new board. Design custom NanoBoard® peripheral boards – Pt2 Part 2 Read Article
Design Custom NanoBoard Peripheral Boards Design Custom NanoBoard Peripheral Boards If you want to add custom hardware functionality to your NanoBoard®, why not make your own add-on Peripheral Board? This two part Tech Tip details the easy way to create your own custom board to use with Altium Designer®. Part 1: Creating your own peripheral board template In this first installment of this two-part tech-tip, we’ll look at how to go about getting the PCB design under way, starting with the PB30 reference design and modifying it to Read Article