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Enhancing Your Design Efficiency with Project Templates Enhancing Your Design Efficiency with Project Templates HIERARCHICAL SCHEMATIC DESIGN IN ALTIUM DESIGNER New Altium Designer users may not fully understand the benefits of organizing schematic sheets into a hierarchical top-down or bottom-up perspective. As a result, users often proceed with simple (flat) schematic designs without giving a second thought to project organization. In this paper, we’ll take a comprehensive look at the sheet symbols and how they’re used to synchronize the parts of a larger Read Article
How To Reduce Design Respins With Embedded 3D STEP Models How To Reduce Design Respins With Embedded 3D STEP Models Read Article
Alternatives to Gerber RS-274X Alternatives to Gerber RS-274-X Gerber RS-274-X format is used for fabricating about 90% of all PCBs designed today worldwide. Learn about Gerber alternatives. To learn more about this topic please see the full solution - Alternatives to Gerber RS-274-X - at Altium.com. Read Article
Defining and Using Multiple Grids Defining and Using Multiple Grids A typical PCB layout consists of electrical, electro-mechanical, and mechanical object types, each with specific grid requirements. For example, trace routing, electronic components, test points, and mechanical enclosures each may have a different grid step and size requirement, as well as a different unit of measure, or a different offset from the board’s reference origin. Polar (circular) grids may also be required to place traces or components Read Article
The Breadth and Depth of Your PCB Design Workflow The Breadth and Depth of Your PCB Design Workflow The routing process remains the most time-consuming layout task, Altium Designer interactive routing technology makes design dense board layouts much easier. Modern printed circuit boards must address a broad set of technology challenges. PCB design software needs to include tools that help design engineers stay productive while ensuring new designs are fully manufacturable. Designers that create advanced technology rely on interactive routing Read Article
Enhancing Your High-Speed Design with xSignals Enhancing Your High-Speed Design with xSignals To learn more about this topic please see the full solution - Enhancing Your High-Speed Design with xSignals - at Altium.com. Read Article
Multi-Channel Design with a Flat Project Multi-Channel Design with a Flat Project This paper will show you how to easily replicate circuitry for multi-channel design applications using Altium Designer PCB design software. You can save yourself plenty of time by reusing existing functional blocks in your PCB, but design reuse is difficult without the right schematic editor. Each schematic you create for your board contains blocks of circuitry that can be connected together, and multi-channel design makes it easy to reuse Read Article
Three Ways To Simplify Output Generation Using Altium Designer Three Ways To Simplify Output Generation Using Altium Designer Many of the delays involved with the PCB design to Manufacturing process can be avoided with accurate data and documented notes for fabrication and assembly. In addition, easily reproducing the required data can be a huge time saver for communication between PCB designer and fabricator. The Output Job Configuration file available in Altium Designer can provide a suitable solution for controlling and ultimately simplifying the output generation of Read Article
Implementing Complex Pad Shapes Implementing Complex Pad Shapes Component pads are not always simply round or rectangular shapes. Analog, high-power, or RF components often require geometrically complex or irregular shaped pads. This paper details an easy and efficient solution for when a user is confronted with having to quickly implement complex pad shapes that must meet the manufacturer’s layout requirements without resulting in DRC violations or manufacturing errors. INTRODUCTION Most component package Read Article
Queries - How to Utilize Rules to their Full Potential Queries - How to Utilize Rules to their Full Potential Queries allow you to find, isolate, and operate on objects in a PCB design. Altium Designer provides multiple methods of utilizing queries prioritized by particular rules. This will help you use the Query Builder and Query Finder, which are two essential tools for implementing the definitions of queries in different areas of the PCB documents. INTRODUCTION A query is a string composed of various, yet specific, keywords and syntax, which will Read Article
5 Tips for Specifying PCB Hole Size Tolerance 5 Tips for Specifying PCB Hole Size Tolerance Learn how to quickly add and clearly communicate hole size tolerance specifications to your fabricator to ensure your PCB design is manufactured properly. One of the more forgotten topics in PCB design are the holes through which components are mounted. Specifying the tolerance of hole dimensions in PCB fabrication ensures proper fit of plated-through-hole (PTH) components. Just as important, those dimensions must be clearly communicated to the Read Article
Automate Output Job File Processing with PCB Release View Automate Output Job File Processing with PCB Release View Altium Designer users can use Altium Vault to produce automated, high-integrity design release systems that automate output job file processing. Using Output Job files to define and store the necessary documentation needs for any Altium Designerproject is an extremely efficient and powerful feature. As more output types are supported by Output Job files (e.g., footprint comparison report, STEP file export, 3D Movie creation), or your company’s Read Article
Variant Management Keeps Designs Synchronized Assembly Variants Management Systems Keeps Designs Synchronized Altium Designer gives you a robust centralized variant management system. You can define any number of design variations of a base design, then manage component parameters and configure the variant components as fitted, not fitted, or alternate parts. As these variants share the same bare board and have impact on the assembly process only, we call these assembly variants. Now you will see how variant management in Altium Designer can harmonize Read Article
Automating Your ECO with Component Links Automating Your ECO with Component Links Component links are what unite your schematic editor with your PCB layout. The utilization of unique IDs allows for the connection and net information to be communicated between the schematic and the PCB design. These links are important, as the seamless connection they create provides you with a truly unified design environment. A UNIFIED DESIGN ENVIRONMENT One of the major advantages of Altium Designer is that it provides you with a single Read Article
Getting Your Layer Stack Right Getting Your Layer Stack Right An improper layer stack in your PCB design is one of the most common errors leading to fabrication failures and rejects. Every multilayer circuit board needs a precise PCB stack-up and accurate layout before it can be sent for PCB manufacturing. When you have the right set of circuit board design tools, you can turn your stackup into a real PCB layout and prepare the documentation your fabricator needs. The multi-layer PCB troubleshooting tools Read Article