Welcome, Guest

Sign in to learn, create, and do more with the product you love.

News & Updates

Filters:
Tag
NEW
Embedded thumbnail for Altium Training - Workspace Folder Structure: Opening the Explorer Panel
Altium Training
Altium Training - Workspace Folder Structure: Opening the Explorer Panel

Discover the key ways to access the Explorer panel in Altium Designer with this step-by-step tutorial. The video walks you through four different methods, giving you the freedom to choose the approach that best fits your workflow.

NEW
Blog
One Vision, Three Powerful Solutions: Introducing Altium Discover, Altium Develop, and Altium Agile

We are excited to announce the launch of three new platform-based solutions that will transform the way electronic products are designed, built, and delivered: Altium Discover, Altium Develop, and Altium Agile. These solutions are designed to simplify processes, accelerate innovation, and make collaboration seamless across the entire electronics lifecycle. Together, they realize the purpose of Altium and Renesas: To Make Our Lives Easier.

Embedded thumbnail for Altium Essentials: Workspace Folder Structure Overview
Altium Training
Altium Essentials: Workspace Folder Structure Overview

Altium Essentials: Workspace Folder Structure is a tutorial series designed for PCB designers who are learning the fundamentals of navigating an Altium workspace. This playlist walks through key Explorer panel skills, including multiple ways to open it (via keyboard shortcuts, menus, panel buttons, and workspaces), navigating projects, and understanding the panel’s six core information areas.

Blog
The Top 5 Workflow Bottlenecks Slowing Down Mechanical Engineering Teams

Mechanical engineering teams frequently encounter delays from fragmented communication, disconnected toolchains, and inefficient synchronization processes. This article examines five critical workflow bottlenecks and highlights how ECAD-MCAD integration with real-time, bidirectional updates can eliminate rework and accelerate design iterations.

Embedded thumbnail for NFC Reader Project Part One: Schematics to PCB in Altium
How-To's
NFC Reader Project Part One: Schematics to PCB in Altium

Check out our new, in-depth NFC Reader Project tutorial! In this two-part video series, we design an ESP32-based NFC transceiver board from schematics to PCB layout. In Part 1, we dive into the TRF7970A NFC chip from Texas Instruments and guide you step-by-step through the complete design process in Altium.

Embedded thumbnail for HDI PCB Design Review: nRF52840 Via Sizing & Stack-Up Best Practices
How-To's
HDI PCB Design Review: nRF52840 Via Sizing & Stack-Up Best Practices

Explore key HDI design strategies, from calculating aspect ratios and optimizing pad diameters to managing drill tolerances and refining stack-ups for improved signal integrity. This comprehensive review highlights practical solutions to common HDI challenges, including via-in-pad layouts, clearance violations, and layer thickness adjustments for both mechanical and laser drilling processes.

Embedded thumbnail for 13 Common PCB Problems & How to Fix Them in Altium
How-To's
13 Common PCB Problems & How to Fix Them in Altium

Stop wasting time on manufacturing rework. This guide shows you how to set up Altium’s design rules to prevent the 13 PCB issues that most often derail production ensuring your boards are built right the first time.

Blog
Building a Model Context Protocol Server for Arduinos

This guide walks you through creating an MCP server that turns AI interactions with Arduino into a predictable, automated process handling tasks like board listing, compilation, and serial communication via a fast, menu‑driven interface. Skip the guesswork of prompt nudging and reduce the risk of unintended device issues.

Embedded thumbnail for What's Inside Your MCU Module?
How-To's
What's Inside Your MCU Module?

Are you curious about what’s inside a microcontroller module? Join us as we take a closer look at the Texas Instruments CC3235 Wi-Fi module under the microscope. In this video, we’ll explore its key components, including the microcontroller, flash memory, and RF circuitry, and explain how they work together to power the module.

Embedded thumbnail for Altium Harness Design Tutorial - From Schematic to 3D Layout
How-To's
Altium Harness Design Tutorial - From Schematic to 3D Layout

Design professional harness systems in Altium with confidence. Follow this comprehensive tutorial to learn multiboard project setup, create wiring diagrams, visualize in 3D, and produce manufacturing-ready documentation complete with ECAD-MCAD integration for precise wire length measurement.

Blog
Getting Started with the GreenPAK Introduction Kit

Take your first steps into mixed-signal design with the Renesas GreenPAK Introduction Kit. Ari Mahpour shows how to design, simulate, and validate a clock divider project, making it easy for beginners to start experimenting with programmable mixed-signal devices.

Embedded thumbnail for Arduino to Custom PCB: Professional Design Transformation
How-To's
Arduino to Custom PCB: Professional Design Transformation

Discover how to upgrade your Arduino Nano-based PCB design into a professional, custom PCB. This tutorial walks through the process of replacing development boards with individual components to create a production-ready design, using a real drone project as the example.

Blog
Smarter Electronic Part Sourcing for Automotive Purchasing Professionals

Targeted at procurement professionals in the automotive industry, the article outlines the evolving pressures of sourcing components for electrified and connected vehicles. It highlights Octopart’s ecosystem as a unified tool that centralizes availability, compliance, pricing, and lifecycle intelligence to optimize sourcing efficiency.

Embedded thumbnail for PCB Library Management: One Library or Many?
How-To's
PCB Library Management: One Library or Many?

This detailed guide walks you through the pros and cons of each approach and offers proven strategies for managing component data, whether you're an independent designer or overseeing libraries for an entire organization.

Tag
Blog
PCB CoDesign Whitepaper

Design faster together with the innovative PCB CoDesign feature, exclusively available in Altium Designer. This cutting-edge functionality seamlessly integrates schematic and PCB design, facilitating concurrent work by multiple engineers on the same project. Learn more about this groundbreaking feature in our comprehensive manual.

Blog
How to Test Suspect Electronic Components

Electronic components power nearly everything in our modern lives. However, as long as there are buyers for parts, counterfeiters will persist in their endeavors. Financial losses resulting from fake components are challenging to ascertain due to enforcement limitations and the difficulty in collecting data on the issue. In this article, we demonstrate how to test and verify components in batch orders.

Blog
Design Phase – Lid Assembly Electronics Part 2

We are going deeper into lid assembly electronics in our Open Source Laptop project. In this chapter we will tackle the PCB design of the webcam board and show you how to deal with some expected challenges, such as overall small form factor of the board or breaking out the microscopic webcam image sensor.

Agile Hardware Development
Blog
5 Ways Hardware Development Is Just… Different

Explore the challenges and strategies of implementing Agile methodology in electronics hardware development. Understand key differences between hardware and software development within the Agile framework.

Blog
Flexible Circuit Assembly: Thinking Through Component Placement

The flexible circuits are ideal for applications where a thin, small, and lightweight PCB is needed. However, in such cases, challenges in assembly and fabrication often arise. This article delves into these challenges, focusing on component selection and placement and how they can significantly impact the performance of the flexible circuit in its intended application.

Blog
Coding Your Own Networked Test Equipment

Have you ever performed manual tests? If your answer is yes, you're likely aware of how laborious and time-consuming the entire process can be. Allow us to introduce you to the realm of test equipment automation. Our new step-by-step guide empowers you to write code that seamlessly configures your networked test equipment, all from the convenience of your computer.

Blog
Pi.MX8 Project – Schematic structure and component placement

We are advancing with our brand new Pi.MX8 Project. In this chapter, we delve deeper into two crucial aspects: the overall schematic and component placement on the PCB board. Don't hesitate to check it out. Additionally, you can follow this project through our workspace; the link is provided within the article.

Blog
Redefine PCB Boundaries with HDI Design

Dive into the world of High-Density Interconnect (HDI) design to enhance your projects. Explore heightened signal integrity, improved reliability, and the seamless integration of advanced technologies - all within compact and lightweight designs. Discover more about HDI on our updated feature page.

Blog
Pi.MX8 Project – Introduction and Overview

Do you have extensive knowledge about the Pi.MX8 module? We're excited to introduce a new series of articles focusing on an innovative approach to utilizing this module. In this inaugural chapter, we provide insights into the preparation for this project and detail the elements that will be used.

Tag
NEW
Embedded thumbnail for Altium Training - Workspace Folder Structure: Opening the Explorer Panel
Altium Training
Altium Training - Workspace Folder Structure: Opening the Explorer Panel

Discover the key ways to access the Explorer panel in Altium Designer with this step-by-step tutorial. The video walks you through four different methods, giving you the freedom to choose the approach that best fits your workflow.

Embedded thumbnail for Altium Essentials: Workspace Folder Structure Overview
Altium Training
Altium Essentials: Workspace Folder Structure Overview

Altium Essentials: Workspace Folder Structure is a tutorial series designed for PCB designers who are learning the fundamentals of navigating an Altium workspace. This playlist walks through key Explorer panel skills, including multiple ways to open it (via keyboard shortcuts, menus, panel buttons, and workspaces), navigating projects, and understanding the panel’s six core information areas.

Embedded thumbnail for NFC Reader Project Part One: Schematics to PCB in Altium
How-To's
NFC Reader Project Part One: Schematics to PCB in Altium

Check out our new, in-depth NFC Reader Project tutorial! In this two-part video series, we design an ESP32-based NFC transceiver board from schematics to PCB layout. In Part 1, we dive into the TRF7970A NFC chip from Texas Instruments and guide you step-by-step through the complete design process in Altium.

Embedded thumbnail for HDI PCB Design Review: nRF52840 Via Sizing & Stack-Up Best Practices
How-To's
HDI PCB Design Review: nRF52840 Via Sizing & Stack-Up Best Practices

Explore key HDI design strategies, from calculating aspect ratios and optimizing pad diameters to managing drill tolerances and refining stack-ups for improved signal integrity. This comprehensive review highlights practical solutions to common HDI challenges, including via-in-pad layouts, clearance violations, and layer thickness adjustments for both mechanical and laser drilling processes.

Embedded thumbnail for 13 Common PCB Problems & How to Fix Them in Altium
How-To's
13 Common PCB Problems & How to Fix Them in Altium

Stop wasting time on manufacturing rework. This guide shows you how to set up Altium’s design rules to prevent the 13 PCB issues that most often derail production ensuring your boards are built right the first time.

Embedded thumbnail for What's Inside Your MCU Module?
How-To's
What's Inside Your MCU Module?

Are you curious about what’s inside a microcontroller module? Join us as we take a closer look at the Texas Instruments CC3235 Wi-Fi module under the microscope. In this video, we’ll explore its key components, including the microcontroller, flash memory, and RF circuitry, and explain how they work together to power the module.

Embedded thumbnail for Altium Harness Design Tutorial - From Schematic to 3D Layout
How-To's
Altium Harness Design Tutorial - From Schematic to 3D Layout

Design professional harness systems in Altium with confidence. Follow this comprehensive tutorial to learn multiboard project setup, create wiring diagrams, visualize in 3D, and produce manufacturing-ready documentation complete with ECAD-MCAD integration for precise wire length measurement.

Embedded thumbnail for Arduino to Custom PCB: Professional Design Transformation
How-To's
Arduino to Custom PCB: Professional Design Transformation

Discover how to upgrade your Arduino Nano-based PCB design into a professional, custom PCB. This tutorial walks through the process of replacing development boards with individual components to create a production-ready design, using a real drone project as the example.

Embedded thumbnail for PCB Library Management: One Library or Many?
How-To's
PCB Library Management: One Library or Many?

This detailed guide walks you through the pros and cons of each approach and offers proven strategies for managing component data, whether you're an independent designer or overseeing libraries for an entire organization.

Embedded thumbnail for Coming Soon: Sawtooth Rounding Support for Length Tuning
New in Altium Designer 25
Coming Soon: Sawtooth Rounding Support for Length Tuning

Sawtooth Rounding for Length Tuning improves signal‑path accuracy by applying controlled corner‑rounding to sawtooth geometries during both Interactive Length Tuning and within‑pair matching in the Auto Tuning engine. Discover this capability and additional innovations on our Coming Soon page.

Embedded thumbnail for Coming Soon: Z-Axis Clearance Rule
New in Altium Designer 25
Coming Soon: Z-Axis Clearance Rule

The Z-Axis Clearance Rule checks the shortest distance between copper features on different layers in a PCB design. It is available in both the Constraint Manager and the legacy PCB Rules Editor. Discover more new features in Altium on our Coming Soon Page.

Embedded thumbnail for Coming Soon: Advanced Polygon Pour Engine
New in Altium Designer 25
Coming Soon: Advanced Polygon Pour Engine

Now supports true arcs instead of approximated curves in copper pours. This enhanced engine marks a major advancement in the polygon pour process in Altium Designer, delivering smoother and more accurate copper shapes. Native arc rendering improves visual quality and helps ensure cleaner, more professional PCB designs.

Embedded thumbnail for How to Design Rigid-Flex PCB Stackups from Scratch
How-To's
How to Design Rigid-Flex PCB Stackups from Scratch

Watch this tutorial to learn the fundamentals of Rigid-Flex design. We cover everything from understanding polyimide materials and adhesive layers to building complex, multi-layer Rigid-Flex constructions that are ready for manufacturing.

Embedded thumbnail for How to Draw Antipads - Complete Tutorial
How-To's
How to Draw Antipads - Complete Tutorial

Discover how to draw and define antipads in Altium with this complete tutorial. Learn three different methods for creating antipads around vias. From simple design rules to advanced polygon cutouts for both basic and complex PCB designs.

Embedded thumbnail for Do PCB Manufacturers Actually Look at Fabrication Drawings?
How-To's
Do PCB Manufacturers Actually Look at Fabrication Drawings?

Explore this in-depth tutorial featuring real fabrication drawings, stackup specifications, and drill tables - all created using Altium Designer’s Draftsman tool. Learn essential insights into PCB data management and manufacturing requirements from an industry perspective.

Embedded thumbnail for Compensating Transmission Line Losses in a PCB Calculator
How-To's
Compensating Transmission Line Losses in a PCB Calculator

This tutorial uncovers the key difference between ideal, lossless impedance calculations and real-world signal behavior giving you practical techniques to design controlled impedance PCBs that deliver reliable performance.

Tag
Integrating Requirements June 2025 Webinar
On-Demand Webinar May 28, 2025
Integrating Requirements into Your PCB Design Workflow
Join our webinar where you will learn about integrated requirements tools who can help you eliminate late-stage design changes, AI support through system requirements and integration of design requirements directly in PCB Design. Don't miss it, register now!
Streamlining Team Collaboration
On-Demand Webinar Apr 17, 2025
Streamlining Team Collaboration in Industrial PCB Projects
Join us for our upcoming webinar to discover how Altium Designer and Altium 365 can transform your team’s collaboration and take your PCB design projects to the next level. Attend for a chance to win free access to the Altium 365 Training Bundle.
PCB CoDesign Webinar
On-Demand Webinar Jan 24, 2024
Discover How Altium Designer 24 Revolutionizes Team Dynamics in PCB Design
Expand your collaboration skills and stay ahead of the curve with PCB CoDesign. Design teams often grapple with prolonged design cycles and coordination issues, leading to delays and inefficiencies. In the current landscape, design processes are hindered by fragmented collaboration, resulting in increased layout times and difficulties in synchronizing design updates.