Unparalleled Schematic Capture

Easily design schematics of any complexity.

Learn More

Schematic Capture and Schematic Entry

Power Supply Filter Topologies and Design Strategies

Complete Power Supply Filter Design and Simulation Guide A PCB for a power supply can be as difficult to design as high-speed networking equipment and complex embedded systems. These circuit board designs need to account for a range of behaviors and safety requirements, especially when dealing with high voltages and currents reaching the output of the power supply. In addition to safety standards involved in power supply PCBs, component selection is critical for ensuring the design can provide the Read Article

switching power supply output filter

Switching Power Supply Output Filter: Design and Simulation SPICE packages can help you design a switching power supply output filter bby looking at transient response results and running parameter sweeps. Read Article

Transient analysis

Guide to Transient Analysis in SPICE Simulations for Electronics The best SPICE simulation tools will make transient analysis easy. Learn more about transient analysis in circuit design in this article. Read Article

Creating Elegant and Readable Schematics

Easy Schematics Creation for Elegance and Readability Exemplary schematics will show you the circuits plus everything you need to know about them at a glance. Poor schematics will force you to decipher them to glean a sufficient understanding of what the circuits do. Read Article

Best Practices for Using PCB Reference Designs

Best Practices for Using PCB Reference Designs Reference designs can help you get started building a new system, but watch out for these pitfalls if you plan to use reference designs for your PCB. Read Article

The Best Capacitor Circuit Simulator for PCB Design

The Best Capacitor Circuit Simulator for PCB Design A capacitor is a fundamental element in integrated circuits and in PCB design, and it’s hard to think of a circuit that doesn’t contain at least one capacitor. A capacitor’s behavior and interaction with other components in a circuit generally needs to be simulated to ensure the design will operate as intended. Capacitors can provide filtering, blocking, and power stability behavior depending on their use in a circuit, and a capacitor circuit Read Article

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 libraries. These CAD models show the location of pins, silkscreen information, centroids, and pads as they should appear in your PCB layout. PCB component creation can get repetitive when you need to apply an existing PCB footprint to a new component. With the component creation tools in Altium Designer and the Read Article

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 a product is ever manufactured and taken to market, the product and its components will inevitably have a finite life cycle. Products are eventually upgraded to new versions and capabilities or components are added, or they become obsolete and are replaced with completely new circuit designs and technology Read Article

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 can usually be designed without considering how your PCB layout affects the operation and interaction between multiple functional blocks in your board. With more complex designs, you’ll need to consider more than just the high-level overview of your board when you are designing a complex system. Modular PCB Read Article

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 a number of obstacles when sourcing components for electronic defense systems. Given the component shortages and potential for counterfeiting in the components market, military PCB components cannot be procured from just any company. Any component for a military grade electronic components system must meet Read Article

Power Electronics for Lithium Iron Phosphate Batteries in Altium Designer

Power Electronics for Lithium Iron Phosphate PCB Batteries in Altium Designer Power electronics encompasses a massive list of systems that make modern life possible. From automotive systems to power distribution systems, power electronics are responsible for controlling and managing the flow of power throughout an electrical system. With alternative energy systems bound to become more popular in the future, engineers and designers need the right PCB design software for power electronics systems. Design software for power Read Article

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 part of our Altium enterprise solutions. Learn more here. Anyone planning to manufacture a new circuit board has plenty of challenges to overcome. From component shortages to outdated design data, project managers and designers face obstacles to timely production that arise from stale component data and supply chain Read Article

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 integration In this guide to PCB connectors, we’ll take a look at connectors within electrical systems, how they benefit from ECAD/MCAD tools, and optimal design specifics like appropriate cable connectors or gold fingers gold plating. Connectors abound on printed circuit assemblies given integrated electrical Read Article

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 in defense systems. Defense microelectronics and manufactured PCBs cannot be procured from just any company, and these components must meet rigorous standards that ensure quality and reliability. These components must also be traceable back to a compliant component manufacturer. Only Altium Read Article

ESD Grounding Requirements in Your Next PCB

ESD Grounding Requirements in Your Next PCB Any PCB that will be deployed in an environment surrounded by high voltage equipment or power sources is at risk of electrostatic discharge (ESD). Static electricity can also discharge directly into a board and ruin sensitive electronic components if a board is handled without a wrist strap. This induces a transient voltage in the PCB, which can cause damage to sensitive components. In extreme cases, such as lightning strikes or major power Read Article

Designing Your PCB for Transient Voltage Suppression

PCB Surge Protection: Designing Your PCB for Transient Voltage Suppression Transient voltage suppression due to power surges can cause serious damage to components in your PCB. With the right software, you can implement an ESD protection and suppression strategy in your PCB. Read Article

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 Printed Circuit Board for a military electronics system for manufacturing and assembly must also follow important sourcing and quality standards. Meeting all of these requirements is easiest when you have access to all your design and production planning tools in a single program. Only Altium Read Article