PCB Supply Chain

Don't let component shortages and supply chain volatility derail your production schedule. Browse our library of resources to learn more about the PCB supply chain and how to source components for your design.

Altium Designer - Part Insights Experience (Supply Chain Intelligence) Nexar - Supply Chain Intelligence Gaining Supply Chain Visibility with PCB Design

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 there are many component options and part browsers on the market (e.g. Ultra Librarian, SamacSys, DMS, etc.). How can designers narrow down to the components they need and source components from authorized distributors? Using an OEMSTrade electronics part search and other distributor websites only gives you a partial view Read Article

Build a Comprehensive Electronic Symbols Library in Altium Designer

Build ane 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 symbols library contains basic symbols and figures that are used in electrical drawings, and they need to be linked to the PCB footprints that will appear in your PCB layout. When you need to prepare and organize clear PCB layouts and electrical drawings, you need a reliable source of CAD symbols and PCB footprints, and it Read Article

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 complex circuits that do not obey standard series and parallel rules, or that use nonlinear components like diodes and transistors, more sophisticated methods are needed. As such, designers need an easy-to-use but powerful simulation application to aid filter design and simulation. Some programs make simulations Read Article

Managing Component Obsolescence with a Unified Data Solution

Managing Component Parts Obsolescence with a Unified Data Solution If components stayed competitive forever, your smartphone would run on vacuum tubes. Obsolescence is an essential part of electronics. It represents an advance in technology, although it is incremental. However, it can also create some pain points for PCB designers, especially when they don’t use the right component management tools. Overcoming problems that arise from poor obsolescence management and lack of supply chain visibility takes the Read Article

Altium & Digi-Key - A Partnership That Brings Value to the Designer

Altium & Digi-Key - A Partnership That Brings Value to the Designer Here’s why you should use Digi-Key in PCB design to source your components. Altium and Digi-Key are working together for convenient component sourcing. Read Article

Huge Vu-meter with RGB LEDs Project

Huge Vu-meter with RGB LEDs Project A laboratory journal to guide you through the steps to develop a successful product that value-conscious customers are sure to love. Read Article

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. ALTIUM DESIGNER PCB design tools capable of tracking costs and keeping production expenditures in budget. Produce low-cost instructions with elegant drill files Calculating printed circuit board fabrication and assembly costs requires knowledge of the design. The design is communicated in the Read Article

PCB Prototype Board Layout Software Designed to Work in Unison When you’re ready for PCB manufacturing, you need to create a set of deliverables from your PCB layout files. All PCB manufacturers and PCB assembly services will use your layout data and a set of other documents to get your board into the manufacturing process. You shouldn’t need separated design and PCB fabrication tools to get your board into production. Instead, you need to use a complete application for design and manufacturing in a single Read Article

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 if there are as many PCB design file formats as there are PCB manufacturers. Using a custom file format is advantageous when working with the originating company’s program. However, there are many times when you need the capability to view or use non-native files. This can be a challenge when working with most PCB software companies, but not Altium. Altium offers a free online BRD file viewer powered by the Altium 365 Read Article

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 the enterprise. ALTIUM DESIGNER No matter the model, attributes, or values - input component properties with smart PCB design software. Component parameters describe features of a part PCB Component parameters are simply text strings in EDA software that describe characteristics. Characteristics such as name, value Read Article

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 requirements. Features like interactive routing, layer stack, and copper pour management, and defining design rules can make or break your next design. The best circuit design software makes using these tools easy and gives you the power to customize them to meet your design requirements. With Altium Designer, you can rest assured Read Article

Transmission Line Termination Techniques in High-Speed Design

Transmission Line Termination Techniques in High-Speed Design A transmission line is a pair of conductors used to deliver energy in the form of an electromagnetic field. Most of us are familiar with the wires that lead to our houses to deliver the power needed to operate our lights and appliances. In the context of PCB design, it is a signal in a signal layer on top of a plane or between two planes. TRANSMISSION LINE TERMINATION TECHNIQUES FOR PCB DESIGN The purpose of this section is to explain what Read Article

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 to yourself to do your research before you purchase so that you get the design features you need for success. Altium Designer delivers on its promise of an easy-to-learn, professional set of PCB design tools. When you switch to Altium Designer, you’ll have the same set of design features you’ll find in OrCAD and much more. You can also Read Article

Look No Further than Altium Designer for the Best PCB Design Software

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 you’ll probably look through a PCB design software list to find the tools you need. Open source software carries zero price tag, but it simply isn’t capable of tasks professionals need to perform every day. If you’re considering a new PCB design software package, consider this first. You need all the tools the industry demands, and there is no reason to Read Article

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 requirements are more stringent when working with military-grade electronic systems. When you work with design software built on a rules-driven design engine, meeting these important standards becomes much easier. Altium Designer gives you the power to prepare a compliant PCB design and prepare manufacturer Read Article

Real-time PCB Component Traceability in Altium Concord Pro

Altium Concord Pro: Real-time PCB Component Traceability for All Requirements PCB designers and project managers in highly regulated industries face a number of obstacles when managing the design process and preparing for manufacturing. Aside from paying attention to industry standards, performance requirements, and coordinating electrical and mechanical design teams, component sourcing carries its own requirements. Supply chain glitches can delay a prototyping or high volume manufacturing run by weeks or even months, and Read Article

PCB Data Management and Your Design Process

PCB Data Management and Your Design Process Your organization will need to gather data from multiple sources to create new designs. In addition to schematic symbols and PCB footprints, designers need sourcing data for components to ensure they can eliminate supply chain risk. With a complete set of design and management tools, design teams can get to market on time and remain within budget while ensuring their designs are manufacturable at scale. Altium Designer offers all the tools you Read Article