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Embedded thumbnail for Signal Analyzer by Keysight Tutorials - Verifying Changes and Finalizing the Design
Signal Analyzer by Keysight Tutorials
Signal Analyzer by Keysight Tutorials - Verifying Changes and Finalizing the Design

In this final installment of our tutorial series on the upcoming extension – Signal Analyzer by Keysight – we will guide you through the process of ensuring that your design meets all necessary performance standards. 

Blog
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.

RSP Launch Cover
Blog
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!

Embedded thumbnail for Signal Analyzer by Keysight Tutorials - Analyzing Simulation Results and Correcting Violation
Signal Analyzer by Keysight Tutorials
Signal Analyzer by Keysight Tutorials - Analyzing Simulation Results and Correcting Violation

We invite you to join the third chapter of the Signal Analyzer by Keysight Tutorials. In this installment, we’ll show you how to analyze simulation results and correct violations to ensure your PCB design aligns with performance standards.

Embedded thumbnail for LDO Regulator Essentials: From Basics to Advanced. Part IV: Step Response
LDO Regulator Essentials
LDO Regulator Essentials: From Basics to Advanced. Part IV: Step Response

In this new chapter of the LDO Essentials series, Rafał Stępień explores the Step Response of LDO regulators using Altium Designer's Mixed Simulation. Discover how to optimize your designs for enhanced stability and efficiency!

Embedded thumbnail for Signal Analyzer by Keysight Tutorials - Setting Up and Running Simulations
Signal Analyzer by Keysight Tutorials
Signal Analyzer by Keysight Tutorials - Setting Up and Running Simulations

We are continuing our tutorial series on the Signal Analyzer by Keysight extension, diving deeper into its setup. We'll guide you through the configuration process and demonstrate how to run simulations using this powerful tool.

Embedded thumbnail for Kickstart Your Rigid-Flex Journey: Part II - Altium Designer Setup for Rigid-Flex
Kickstart Your Rigid-Flex Journey
Kickstart Your Rigid-Flex Journey: Part II - Altium Designer Setup for Rigid-Flex

Learn how to set up Altium Designer for Rigid-Flex PCB projects with step-by-step guidance from Piet Callemeyn. Master both manual and automatic layer stack configuration in just a few minutes!

Embedded thumbnail for Subterranean Robots Secure Our Global Food Future
Altium Stories
Subterranean Robots Secure Our Global Food Future

After discovering the Crover effect, Lorenzo Conti developed a groundbreaking grain-swimming robot to monitor and protect stored cereals. Using Altium-powered design, this innovative technology gathers critical data beneath bulk storage surfaces, reducing waste and enhancing food security. Join us as we explore how these robots are shaping a sustainable future and safeguarding our global food supply.

Embedded thumbnail for Signal Analyzer by Keysight Tutorials - Initial Setup
Signal Analyzer by Keysight Tutorials
Signal Analyzer by Keysight Tutorials - Initial Setup

In our new tutorial series, we will explore how the upcoming Signal Analyzer by Keysight enhances signal analysis in your PCB designs. In this first part, we'll guide you through a step-by-step installation process, ensuring the extension is properly set up in your Altium Designer environment.

Blog
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.

Embedded thumbnail for EMI Solutions for Six-Layer PCB Stackups: A PCB Designer's Guide
How-To's
EMI Solutions for Six-Layer PCB Stackups: A PCB Designer's Guide

In our brand new video, our host Zach Peterson explores essential EMI solutions for six-layer PCB stackups, ensuring your designs achieve peak performance and reliability. Stay tuned as he delves into common issues, practical tips, and a detailed Altium Designer example to help you optimize your PCB designs.

Embedded thumbnail for Elevate Your Design Skills: Tips & Tricks for Success - Recording Preview
New in Altium Designer 24
Elevate Your Design Skills: Tips & Tricks for Success - Recording Preview

Unlock essential PCB design tips and tricks in our latest webinar recording. Learn how to streamline your workflow, tackle common challenges, and boost your productivity with Altium Designer. Check the recording here: COM August Webinar.

Embedded thumbnail for Finding Alternate Microcontroller Units (MCUs): Alternate Parts Series: Pt. 4
Octopart
Finding Alternate Microcontroller Units (MCUs): Alternate Parts Series: Pt. 4

Join Phil Salmony in the next part of our series dedicated to navigating the complexities of component substitutions. In this chapter, we'll demonstrate how to use Octopart to find suitable alternate microcontroller units (MCUs). Octopart will guide you in narrowing down critical parameters, helping you select the right component for your specific application.

Embedded thumbnail for Kickstart Your Rigid-Flex Journey: Part I - Introduction to Our Walkthrough Project
Kickstart Your Rigid-Flex Journey
Kickstart Your Rigid-Flex Journey: Part I - Introduction to Our Walkthrough Project

Join Piet Callemeyn in our new 4-part series on Rigid-Flex technology! Discover the full design process, from theory to final integration—perfect for all tech enthusiasts! Catch the premiere episode where our host breaks down the theory, use cases, and stackups of Rigid-Flex technology.

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Evaluating Stubs on PCIe Lanes
Blog
A Brief Study of Stubs on a PCIe Connector

Stubs are an important topic in high-speed PCB design, and there is a longstanding guideline that stubs should always be removed from all vias on high-speed digital interconnects. While stubs are bad for high-speed lines, they do not always need to be removed. What is more important is to predict the loss profile and frequencies, and to floorplan appropriately to try and prevent such losses.

Surface Layer DFM and Cleanup
Blog
PCB Layout Cleanup Before Manufacturing

Once you finish your placement and routing in your PCB layout, it can be tempting to wrap up the layout and send everything in directly to manufacturing. The reality is that the board may still need some work before it is considered finished. The cleanup you perform at the final stage of PCB layout will help you catch any outstanding errors that can't be programmed into your DRC engine, and it gives you a chance to add any outstanding details to the surface layers.

Low Cost and Professionally Built LED Panel
Blog
Insulated Metal Substrates: Building an LED Panel

In this project we’ll be building a moderate sized LED panel on insulated metal substrate (IMS). This light panel has three different white balance High CRI LED types on it, warm, neutral and cool. By changing the brightness of the different white balances, the light from the panel can be adjusted to match other lighting, making it perfect for film use - but also creating perfect lighting for electronics work. As with all my projects, this LED panel is open source, you can find the Altium project files over on my GitHub released under the permissive MIT License.

DFM For Your Materials
Blog
DFM in PCB Material Selection

Every design should begin with selecting the materials that will appear in the PCB stackup, as well as arranging layers in the stackup to support layout and routing. This section of our PCB manufacturing andc DFM crash course focuses on selecting the right materials for your PCB design. Materials should be selected given the particular design requirements outlined in your specifications.

PCB Layout for an BGA
Blog
How to Start an FPGA PCB Layout For Your Embedded System

FPGAs come in quad or BGA packages that can be difficult to floorplan, especially with the high number of I/Os often implemented in these components. FPGAs offer a lot of advantages in terms of their reconfigurability, but they can require a lot of effort to layout and route without headaches. If you’ve never worked with an FPGA in your PCB layout, we have some guidelines that can help you get started.

2-port VNA on a 3-port Network
Blog
How to Get 3-port S-parameters From a 2-port VNA Measurement

S-parameters are fundamental quantities in signal integrity, and an ability to understand them from measurement or analysis is very important. If you have a 3-port network, like a power divider or circulator, it may appear that you must use a 3-port VNA to measure these S-parameters. It is always acceptable to measure between two ports, but you need to know what exactly it is you are measuring. In this article, we’ll look at the relationship between the true 3-port S-parameters with a 2-port measurement.

Fab and Assembly Crash Course
Blog
A Day in the Life of the PCB Manufacturing Process

Before implementing design for manufacturing, it is important to understand the underlying process behind producing a physical PCB. Regardless of the various technologies present in each facility, a large majority of industry-leading manufacturers follow a specific set of steps to turn your design from a drawing in a CAD application into a physical board. In this article, we'll cover the basics that designers need to know as part of our crash course series on PCB manufacturing.

What Are the Main Skew Sources in a PCB?
Blog
Addressing Skew Sources in High Speed PCBs

If you compile a list of skew sources, you'll see that fiber weave-induced skew is only one entry on a long list of skew sources. We'll look at this list of possible skew sources below, and we'll see how they affect the operation of your PCB. From the list below, we'll see that some of these issues with skew are not simply solved by paying attention to the fiber weave construction in a PCB substrate.

Ground Below SMPS Inductors
Blog
Should Ground Be Placed Below Inductors in Switching Regulators?

We love answering questions from our readers and YouTube viewers, and one of the recent questions we received relates to EMI from switching elements in a switching regulator is "Should a cutout be placed below the inductor in a switching regulator circuit?". Despite the variations in inductors and their magnetic behavior, there are some general principles that can be used to judge the effects of placing ground near inductors in switching regulator circuits. We’ll look at some of these principles in this article

Alternative Pins
Blog
Altium Designer 22.6 Update

We are happy to announce that the Altium Designer 22.6 update is now available. Altium Designer 22.6 continues to focus on improving the user experience, as well as performance and stability of the software, based on feedback from our users. Check out the key new features in the What's New section on the left side of this window!

Top 5 Questions Regarding Stack Up
Blog
SAP (Semi-Additive PCB Process) – Top 5 Questions Regarding Stack Up

This Semi-Additive Process is an additional tool in the PCB fabricators' toolbox that enables them to provide feature sizes for trace width and spacing that are 25 microns, (1 mil) and below depending on the fabricators' imaging equipment. This provides much more flexibility to breakout out tight BGA areas and the ability to shrink overall circuit size and/ or reduce the number of circuit layers in the design. As the PCB design community embraces the benefits of this new printed circuit board fabrication technique, there are of course many questions to be answered.

Three ways to manage your BOM costs
Blog
Improving Supply Chain Success with BOM Management

It’s no secret that component shortages have become more frequent this year. In fact, countries around the world are losing billions in revenue due to supply issues. Having the right components on hand is more crucial than ever as availability, obsolescence, counterfeit products and environmental non-compliance risks continue to grow. Fortunately, many shortages can be avoided by introducing proactive supply chain practices.

Length Tuning Impedance
Blog
What is the Impedance of Length-Tuning Structures?

Do length-tuning structures create an impedance discontinuity? The answer is an unequivocal “yes”, but it might not matter in your design depending on several factors. Applying a length-tuning structure is equivalent to changing the distance between the traces while meandering. Therefore, you will have a change in the odd-mode impedance of a single trace. The question then becomes: does this deviation in trace impedance in a length tuning structure matter?

Designing the Next-Generation Electronics
Blog
A-SAP™ – What do you need to know?

The continued miniaturization of both packaging and component size in next-generation electronics is becoming harder and harder to work around and presents a significant challenge for both PCB designers and PCB fabricators. To effectively navigate the constraints of the traditional subtractive-etch PCB fabrication processes, PCB designs require advanced PCB fabrication capabilities while pushing the limits of finer feature size, higher layer counts, multiple levels of stacked micro vias and increased lamination cycles.

Pin-package and Via Delay Values
Blog
Pin-Package Delay and Via Delay in High Speed Length Tuning

Take a look at the inside of some integrated circuit packages, and you’ll find a number of wires bonded to the semiconductor die and the pads at the edge of the component's package. As a signal traverses makes its way along an interconnect and into a destination circuit, signals need to travel across these bond wires and pads before they are interpreted as a logic state. As you look around the edge of an IC, these bond wires can have different lengths, and they incur different levels of delay and contribute to total jitter.

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Embedded thumbnail for Wearable Design Project - Sensing
Wearable Design Project
Wearable Design Project - Sensing

Piet Callemeyn is back on his wireless heart rate sensor. Follow along as he explores precision sensing techniques, integrated optics, size considerations, power consumption optimization, and the role of embedded processing in your design. Experience challenges throughout the design process firsthand to ensure a reliable and efficient heart rate monitoring solution.

Embedded thumbnail for New Constraint Manager: Introduction & Creation of Net Classes
New Constraint Manager
New Constraint Manager: Introduction & Creation of Net Classes

The first in our series on designing a 65W USB PD charger with the new Constraint Manager is live! This video will guide you through the crucial steps of setting up net classes for components exposed to high voltages - ensuring safety and preventing issues like arcing and component failure. Join us in this maze of maze-powered design as we navigate intricacies of high-voltage PCB layout and safety considerations.

Embedded thumbnail for Tesla Unveiled! EE Deep Dives Into Roadster's PCB Design Files
How-To's
Tesla Unveiled! EE Deep Dives Into Roadster's PCB Design Files

Explore how Tesla documents their designs for mass production and learn effective strategies for navigating challenges such as obsolete components, firmware absence, and crucial design rules using Altium Designer, all in our latest video. Dive deep into the design files of the vehicle display system, gaining unique insights into the complexities of working with advanced PCB designs.

Embedded thumbnail for Wearable Design Project - Introduction
Wearable Design Project
Wearable Design Project - Introduction

Ever wanted to design a wearable electronic device? Follow along with Piet Callemeyn as he delves into the design of a wireless heart rate sensor. In this series, Piet explores PCB design essentials to create a variable heart rate sensor, offering insights around efficient power use, seamless data transfer, and a clean, compact design throughout the entire process.

Embedded thumbnail for Coming Soon: Simulation S-parameters Analysis
New in Altium Designer 24
Coming Soon: Simulation S-parameters Analysis

Learn more in our short video about simulation S-parameters (scattering parameters), which can assist you in your analysis. This data can be used to optimize your design, leading to cost savings, improved product quality, and a competitive edge in the marketplace.

Embedded thumbnail for Coming Soon: Footprint Mirroring Prevention
New in Altium Designer 24
Coming Soon: Footprint Mirroring Prevention

Check out the new feature that we are preparing for you. Footprint Mirroring Prevention adds measures to prevent inadvertent mirroring of a footprint along its X/Y axes. With this functionality, you can avoid costly board respins.

Embedded thumbnail for Design in a New Dimension: Altium Designer’s 3D-MID Demo
New in Altium Designer 24
Design in a New Dimension: Altium Designer’s 3D-MID Demo

Explore the cutting-edge 3D-MID capabilities in Altium Designer with our detailed demo! In this video, we guide you through the process of creating a 3D PCB document, importing components, and seamlessly transitioning from 2D to 3D board design.

Embedded thumbnail for PCB CoDesign Demo: A Collaborative Approach to PCB Design
New in Altium Designer 24
PCB CoDesign Demo: A Collaborative Approach to PCB Design

Explore the realm of collaborative design through our PCB CoDesign feature. Discover how multiple engineers can seamlessly collaborate on the same project in our full-time demo. Design faster together with Altium Designer 24.

Embedded thumbnail for Empowering Faster Electronics Development with Altium Designer 24 - Webinar Recording
New in Altium Designer 24
Empowering Faster Electronics Development with Altium Designer 24 - Webinar Recording

If you missed our Altium Designer 24 webinar, don't worry! We have good news for you—it was recorded. Explore the game-changing features that will revolutionize your PCB design experience and discover the new standard in electronic design.

Embedded thumbnail for Streamline Your Design Process with PCB Layout Replication
New in Altium Designer 24
Streamline Your Design Process with PCB Layout Replication

We are delighted to invite you to explore our latest demo showcasing a powerful feature - PCB Layout Replication. Discover the capabilities of this tool and see how it can enhance your project workflow by automating the replication of components and repetitive sections in a PCB layout.

Embedded thumbnail for A True 3D Mechatronic Integrated Device Design in Altium Designer
New in Altium Designer 24
A True 3D Mechatronic Integrated Device Design in Altium Designer

The 3D layout tool for Mechatronic Integrated Device (MID) designs seamlessly merges electronic and mechanical elements, unlocking possibilities in diverse fields such as wearables, medical devices, and automotive components. To delve deeper into this innovative tool, watch our brand-new short video.

Embedded thumbnail for Illuminating Night Races with Lazer Lamps
Success Stories
Illuminating Night Races with Lazer Lamps

Light up the track and join us on an exhilarating journey into the world of night races as Lazer Lamps takes center stage, powered by Altium Designer. In this video you can experience the thrill of racing into the future with Lazer Lamps, guided by the precision and power of Altium Designer.

Embedded thumbnail for The Future of 3D MID Design: Harting and Altium's Pioneering Collaboration
Success Stories
The Future of 3D MID Design: Harting and Altium's Pioneering Collaboration

Discover the collaborative journey between Harting and Altium to revolutionize 3D circuit design in this informative video. Learn about the evolution from traditional 2D to innovative 3D circuit design, made possible through Altium Designer’s advanced 3D MID capabilities.

Embedded thumbnail for Minimize Manual Effort With Automatic Length Tuning
How-To's
Minimize Manual Effort With Automatic Length Tuning

Wishing you a Happy New Year! We invite you to join us for the first video of the year. Unlock the power of Automatic Length Tuning in Altium Designer. This feature is seamlessly integrated into the main Route menu in 2D mode, streamlining your design process for enhanced precision and efficiency.

Embedded thumbnail for Happy Holidays!!!
How-To's
Happy Holidays!!!

Altium sending you warm wishes for Christmas filled with all the things that bring you joy, surrounded by the people you love and may your dreams blossom and make all your aspirations come true in the coming year.

Embedded thumbnail for Harness Design in Altium Designer helps Lazer Lamps built better products faster
Success Stories
Harness Design in Altium Designer helps Lazer Lamps built better products faster

Hear the story of how Altium Designer's Harness Design feature streamlines wiring system design to empower Lazer Lamps’ engineering team to craft superior LED driving lights in record time. From seamless collaboration among their engineering teams to the intuitive design features that accelerated their workflows, witness firsthand how Altium Designer helped improve Lazer Lamps design processes.

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Z2Data Webinar Cover Photo
On-Demand Webinar
Bridge the Information Divide: Altium 365 Meets Z2Data

Watch the webinar and get a sneak peek at revolutionizing your engineering, compliance, and procurement approach with Altium 365 and Z2Data integration. Leverage comprehensive component data and advanced risk management strategies to enhance resilience in your operations.

Design with Confidence: Altium 365 meets SiliconExpert
On-Demand Webinar
Design with Confidence: Altium 365 meets SiliconExpert

Learn how the SiliconExpert integration in Altium 365 can optimize your workflows and elevate your design process. Hear from experts from SiliconExpert and discover insights into data-driven design decisions. Also don't miss the chance to see the integration in action and explore improved risk analysis and alternative component discovery features.

From PCB to MCAD - Designing a USB Isolator with Altium & SOLIDWORKS
On-Demand Webinar
From PCB to MCAD - Designing a USB Isolator with Altium & SOLIDWORKS

Dive into the world of Altium's MCAD CoDesigner and its compatibility with SOLIDWORKS. Watch the recording to explore a unified approach with a real-life project that will redefine your design process and find out more about how you can optimize your Electronic Lifecycle Management by bringing together all experts involved in product development.

On-Demand Webinar
Faster Design, Fewer Errors with Altium 365 Requirements Manager

? Join our experts to learn how you can develop products faster with fewer errors with the Altium 365 + Valispace Integration. This integration connects your live design and requirements workflow to implement design intent better and comply with industry standards.

printed circuit board, photo by the author
On-Demand Webinar
Learn to Collaborate Like a Pro with Altium Designer 23

Get ready to speed up your design process with new Altium Designer collaboration capabilities. Designing a PCB is a team effort. Engineers must work with customers, manufacturers, and other stakeholders to get the best results. You need help to bring your design to life, even if you're a one-person team.

The Best Way to Review Your PCB Designs
On-Demand Webinar
The Best Way to Review Your PCB Designs

It is essential to ask questions and review the design approaches used with your team. Design reviews are essential in the design process, but they can be inconvenient for team members and lack traceability or history. To create the best designs, you need review methods that are as cutting edge as the boards you're making.