News & Updates
Blog
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Design Basics for HDI and the HDI PCB Manufacturing Process
As the world of technology has evolved, so has the need to pack more capabilities into smaller packages. PCBs designed using high-density interconnect techniques tend to be smaller as more components are packed in a smaller space. An HDI PCB uses blind, buried, and micro vias, vias in pads, and very thin traces to pack more components into a smaller area. We’ll show you the design basics for HDI and how Altium Designer® can help you create a powerful HDI PCB.
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Is It Printed or a Component? All About PCB Test Points
Test points in your electronic assembly will give you a location to access components and take important measurements to verify functionality. If you’ve never used a test point or you’re not sure if you need test points, keep reading to see what options you have for test point usage in your PCB layout.
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How to Design to a Differential Impedance Specification
The concept and implementation of differential impedance are both sometimes misunderstood. In addition, the design of a channel to reach a specific differential impedance is often done in a haphazard way. The very concept of differential impedance is something of a mathematical construct that doesn’t fully capture the behavior of each signal in a differential trace. Keep reading to see a bit more depth on how to design to a differential impedance spec and exactly what it means for your design.
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The Main Advantages when using Draftsman to Create a Component Mounting Drawing
Quite often, a standard assembly drawing is not enough to ensure the quality of a PCB assembly, especially when designing high-density boards. It would also be helpful to include additional detailing for simpler devices. The use of a Draftsman document brings an elegant, yet powerful solution to make these tasks easier.
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Product Lifecycle Management in Electronics Manufacturing
An effective product lifecycle management (PLM) solution will integrate the tools and processes employed to design, develop and manufacture a new device. This solution goes beyond engineering activities to include the project management, process control, and financial management of the end-to-end business processes. PLM solutions create this collaborative environment where product development can flourish, bringing additional benefits in efficiencies and transparent communications, breaking silos, and speeding up the development process.
On-Demand Webinar
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Length Matching in High Speed Buses
With ever increasing speeds in high-speed data systems comes a couple of PCB layout challenges. High-speed busses like DDR, VME, PCIe just to mention a few can all reach data transfer speeds that require strict timing with very tight tolerances, thereby leaving very little slack in the PCB layout. Watch this on-demand webinar to learn why it's imperative to match track lengths in high-speed data systems and differential signals. You’ll see how to properly define PCB length matching and time delay constraints, and how to effectively route high-speed signals in Altium Designer®.
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Should You Use Tight vs. Loose Differential Pair Spacing and Coupling?
In this article, we want to get closer to a realistic description of tight coupling vs. loose coupling in terms of differential pair spacing, as well as how the differential pair spacing affects things like impedance, differential-mode noise, reception of common-mode noise, and termination. As we’ll see, the focus on tight coupling has its merits, but it’s often cited as necessary for the wrong reasons.
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How to Solve Your Engineering Design Review Challenges
You’ve possibly gone through plenty of engineering design reviews, both on the front-end of a project and the back-end before manufacturing. Engineering design reviews are performed to accomplish multiple objectives, and with many engineering teams taking a systems-based approach to design and production, electronics design teams will need to review much more than just a PCB layout and BOM. Today’s challenges with sourcing, manufacturability, reliability, and mechanical constraints are all areas that must be confronted in real designs
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Schematic Review Checklist
One of the most common points of failure of a device occurs even before you start to layout your circuit board. Mistakes in your schematic design can easily make their way all the way into prototypes or production without a second thought once layout starts. In this article, I’m not going to extol the virtues of a good schematic design. Instead, this article is a simple no frills checklist.
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PCB Via Current-Carrying Capacity: How Hot is Too Hot?
One common question from designers is current-carrying capacity of conductors in a PCB. Trace and via current-carrying capacity are legitimate design points to focus on when designing a new board that will carry high current. The goal is to keep conductor temperatures below some appropriate limit, which then helps keep components on the board cool. Let’s dig into the current state of thermal demands on vias in PCBs and how they compare to internal and external PCB traces.
On-Demand Webinar
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SPICE Simulation Made Simple
SPICE simulation saves you critical time in the prototyping phase. Understanding your simulation interface makes it simple to analyze how your circuits work in different scenarios. Altium Designer provides an intuitive, dedicated interface to support your simulation verification, setup, and analysis directly in your schematic environment. You also benefit from growing support for popular model formats, as well as generic models, simplifying circuit definition and simulation.
NEW
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Model-Based Systems Engineering in the Era of Digital Twins: A Paradigm Shift in PCB and Electronics Design
Explore how Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) integrates with digital twins to enhance design accuracy, collaboration, and lifecycle management in modern engineering projects. This approach bridges the gap between physical systems and digital models, enabling real-time simulation and optimization.
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Wire Bonding in Altium Designer
The Wire Bonding in Altium Designer article highlights how Altium Designer 25’s wire bonding feature streamlines complex designs for advanced assemblies like 3D stacked dies and RF modules. This tool enhances efficiency and precision, catering to modern electronic design needs.
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Altium Designer 25: Pioneering Collaboration, Product Development, and Advanced Simulation
Altium Designer 25 introduces groundbreaking features for seamless collaboration and precision in PCB design, from PCB CoDesign to advanced simulation and MCAD tools. Discover how AD25 is transforming electronic product development.
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Wire Bonding: Modern Applications, Technology Trends and Cost Considerations
Explore the future of wire bonding, from new applications to cost-saving trends, in this article by Samer Aldhaher. Stay updated on key innovations in this essential connection technology.
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Maximizing Efficiency: A Deep Dive into Altium 365 Jira Integration Features
Discover how Altium 365’s Jira integration can streamline collaboration and keep projects running smoothly with real-time design updates and task tracking. Perfect for teams seeking efficiency!
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Optimize PCB Design with Integrated BOM and CAD Systems
Discover how integrating BOM management and CAD systems can streamline your PCB design process in this insightful article. Learn how combining these tools enables smoother collaboration, reduces errors, and improves design efficiency, helping you optimize your workflows from concept to manufacturing.
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The Essential Guide to Through-Hole Resistors
Resistors are fundamental components in electronic circuits, essential for controlling current and voltage. This article explores their basic principles, types, and key applications, helping you understand their crucial role in electronics.
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Avoiding Costly Delays: Essential Tips for PCB Designers
Efficient PCB design is crucial for avoiding costly delays in product development. This article offers practical tips and best practices for PCB designers to streamline their workflows, minimize errors, and ensure timely project completion.
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Understanding Signal Reflections for High-Speed Design
Signal integrity is the backbone of high-speed digital systems. In this new article by Rafał Stępień, we break down signal reflections and how to optimize your designs with effective impedance matching techniques.
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Mastering EMI Control in PCB Design: Component Placement for EMC
In the second article of the "Mastering EMI Control in PCB Design" series Dario Fresu explores how effective component placement can reduce electromagnetic interference (EMI) in printed circuit boards. He highlights strategies such as board segregation and careful management of high-speed signals and their harmonics to ensure signal integrity and minimize emissions.
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Signal Integrity Principles based on Altium Designer 24
Check out this article where Rafał Stępień dives into the essentials of maintaining signal integrity in high-speed digital systems. Discover key techniques like controlling signal reflections, reducing crosstalk, and designing differential pairs in Altium Designer 24 to ensure reliable and efficient PCB performance.
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Launch of Requirements & Systems Portal in Altium 365
The Requirements & Systems Portal is now live in Altium 365! Engineers can write, manage, and verify requirements within the Altium 365 workspace. You can link your requirements directly to schematics and PCB designs to ensure all engineers are working with the latest data. Request access today!
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Enhancing Signal Integrity in PCB Design: Key Considerations and Strategies
Looking to enhance signal integrity in your PCB designs? Check out our latest article by David Marrakchi, where he shares key strategies and best practices for achieving reliable high-speed designs.
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Favorite Tools for BOM Review
Check out our article, where Lawrence Romine shares his top tools for conducting efficient Bill of Materials (BOM) reviews in PCB design. It highlights key features in Altium 365, Octopart, and ActiveBOM that help engineers avoid unsourceable components and streamline procurement.
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Mastering EMI Control in PCB Design: How Signals Propagate in a PCB
As the first article in the "Mastering EMI Control in PCB Design" series from our new asset Dario Fresu, this piece explores signal propagation in PCBs, highlighting the crucial roles of impedance, dielectric materials, and trace geometry in maintaining signal integrity.
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High-Speed PCB Design: Ensuring Signal Integrity, EMI Mitigation, and Thermal Management
Discover essential strategies for high-speed PCB design, focusing on signal integrity, EMI mitigation, and thermal management. Our latest article provides insights on managing crosstalk, optimizing grounding, and addressing thermal challenges to ensure reliable PCB performance.
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