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Schematic Capture and Schematic Entry

Integration of Schematic Capture, Layout, and Databases Improves Efficiency

Integration of Schematic Capture, Layout, and Databases Improves Efficiency Do you like seeing old classic cars in movies and on TV? So do I. Would slipping behind the wheel of a vintage Model T Ford for a test drive be the highlight of your bucket list? Mine too. Would it be as simple and easy as they show on TV? Absolutely not. Of the three pedals on the floor of the Model T, the left controls first gear, neutral, and second gear depending on if you push it in all the way, half way or not at all. The middle pedal is Read Article

94 V-0 Rating

The 94 V-0 Circuit Board Rating There are a lot of elements to consider when you are designing a PCB. One consideration is making sure your PCB meets approved UL flammability ratings. If you need to design a PCB with a 94 V-0 rating, which means the specimen cannot burn for more than 10 seconds. When working with circuits, you have to choose the right materials to make sure your PCB indeed receives a 94 V-0 rating. Altium Designer has all the tools and resources you need to Read Article

How to Design a Printed Circuit Board

How to Design a Printed Circuit Board in 10 Easy Steps Learn how to design a printed circuit board (PCB) and the standard workflow used in the industry. We'll cover schematic capture, PCB layout, and generating printed circuit board design outputs in Altium Designer. Read on to learn the universal PCB design steps. Read Article

PCB Layout Tips to Design a Clap Switch Circuit

PCB Layout Tips to Design a Clap Switch Circuit I’m a self-professed workaholic. On a typical workday, lunch breaks become nonexistent as I obsess on my latest project or focus on clearing my list of tasks. During my off-days, however, I move to the opposite end of the spectrum. I became the epitome of laziness as I spend the whole day unwinding. I become immobilized as I sink deeper into the couch while watching my favorite TV shows. In these moments, I wish I could prepare dinner with a Read Article

Switching Units From MM to Mils and Other PCB Design Measurement Preferences

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 Systematically Organize Your Messy Schematic Design

Schematic Organization: How to Systematically Organize Your Messy Schematic Design Even as a six-year-old, my son is great at organizing his toys and personal belongings. At that age, I used to chuck all my possessions into a huge storage box. My son, on the other hand, has a knack for orderliness that borders on obsessive. Although his meticulous attention to detail can be mildly frustrating at times, it means that I can always trust him to keep his play area organized. In PCB design, you need to exhibit the same level of Read Article

how to convert schematic to pcb layout in altium

How to Create a PCB Layout from a Schematic in Altium Designer You’ve done your usual excellent job of putting together the PCB schematic. The circuitry is defined and you are ready to go to PCB layout. But this time it’s a little different. Maybe your regular layout resources aren’t available, or perhaps you want to try to do your first layout yourself. Whatever the reason, you are ready to start working on the board side of PCB design, but you’re not sure how to create it from a PCB schematic in Altium Read Article

Rotate and Flip Components in Altium Designer

How Do I Flip and Rotate Components in Altium Designer and Other Schematic Functions In this article, we'll give a brief overview of how to flip or mirror components in Altium Designer, as well as how to rotate components in different design documents. The functions in the schematic are slightly different than in the PCB layout, so follow along if you are a new user and want to learn these basic functions. These functions can be accessed in multiple places: from the main menu at the top of the application window, using a hotkey Read Article

In Your Altium Library, Multiple Part Symbols Ease Your Design Time

Creating Multiple-Part Symbols for a PCB in Altium Designer How to create multi-part components and symbols in Altium Designer^®. Build a symbol manually or use an advanced symbol generator to do the heavy lifting of symbol creation for you. Read Article

Internal Versus External Surge Protection: What’s Best for Total PCB Protection

Internal Versus External Surge Protectors: What’s Best for Total PCB Protection Whether its internal or external surge protection, your electronics device needs something to keep it healthy throughout the lifespan. Read Article

Create a Symbol Quickly Using the Altium Designer’s Schematic Symbol Generation Tool

How to Create Schematic Symbols in Altium Designer A step by step walk through of the Schematic Symbol Generation Tool in Altium Designer. Read Article

Using the New Select Filter When Selecting Objects in Altium Designer

Using the New Select Filter When Selecting Objects in Altium Designer Whether you are making changes or deletions one thing is for certain, you are going to be selecting a lot of design objects in your design as you work on it. Altium Designer has introduced the select filter that will make the task of selecting objects much easier than before. This enables you to configure your design session so that you can select specific object types to work on. When you have an area in your schematic or PCB layout that is very Read Article

A Schematic Tutorial in Altium Designer: The Journey of a Thousand PCBs

How to Create a PCB Schematic | Altium Designer There’s an important step in creating your PCB layout: How to make a schematic? You might feel overwhelmed with all of the options, but don’t worry! Whether you’ve got decades of experience in your pocket or just starting your design or engineering career, your PCB design begins with schematic capture. Below is a schematic capture tutorial in Altium Designer, covering everything from component access to wiring parts together into circuits. A PCB Read Article

Add Any Component to Your Design With Unified Component Libraries

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 your design process running smoothly and without interruption. Sometimes the hurdle is as manageable as making sure you get your coffee in the morning. Sometimes the hurdle is as tall as not having the knowledge, comfort, or software you need to accomplish your design tasks. Oftentimes, when sketching out an initial PCB design, there Read Article

isolated vs non-isolated power supply design guide

Isolated vs Non-Isolated Power Supplies: The Right Choice Without Fail Learn the advantages and disadvantages of isolated vs non-isolated power supply design. Read Article

Finding Circuit Design Software Online: Search Parameters and Powerful Tools

How To Find Circuit Design Software Online: Search Parameters and Powerful Tools Often, designers and companies will choose a certain PCB design tool based on factors other than what the tool is capable of doing for them. The chosen software may have a very low price tag associated with it, but does it do everything that you need it to do? This question goes much deeper as well. Not only does this software do what you want it to—but does it really excel? You may invest in an application that satisfies your needs today--but Read Article

Old Wisdom: Best Schematic Software Simplifies Schematic to PCB Synchronizing

Old School Wisdom: Best Schematic Software Simplifies Schematic to PCB Synchronizing You’ve heard it said: “there’s no school like the old school.” Is that always true though? When I was a kid my “old school” taught me to type on a typewriter, not a word processor. If I was using that old school typewriter today, it would take me significantly longer to write this article. I wouldn’t have access to spell checking or any of the other helpful utilities that I’ve become accustomed to. I wouldn’t be able to easily backspace and re Read Article