News & Updates
What can the industry do to support PCB designers as they continue taking a more active role in product development? Here at Altium, there has been a progressive shift towards looking at the system level and creating tools that get designers more involved throughout the product development process. As the saying goes, over the wall engineering is over… today’s most successful products are built in a collaborative process.
As the 5G rollout progresses and researchers continue to discuss 6G, many new 5G-capable products operating in sub-GHz and mmWave bands are reaching the marketplace. Devices that will include a 5G-compatible front-end, whether small stations/repeaters or handheld devices, use phased arrays as high-gain antenna systems to provide high data throughput without losing range at higher frequencies.
Via protection is an important part of modern PCB design. It provides additional benefits in PCB manufacturing and assembly, increasing the number of acceptable products.
Version control systems (VCS) have been around for a long time in the software world but can be surprisingly new to some folks in the electronics design industry. Version control tools are great for tracking and maintaining entire codebases without the old-school copying, pasting, zipping, and emailing steps many PCB designers use.
Power integrity problems can abound in modern PCBs, especially high-speed boards that run with fast edge rates. These systems require precise design of the PDN impedance to ensure stable power is always delivered throughout the system.
A design project doesn’t appear out of nowhere. The design process spreads over time, and project documents change. Schematic documents gradually become more complex, new functional blocks appear, and already finished parts can be modified and updated.
Capacitance is your friend whenever you need stable power integrity, which is why there is so much focus on decoupling capacitors. While these components are important and they can be used to provide targeted power integrity solutions to certain components, there is one specialty material used to supercharge capacitance in your PCB stackup or package substrate.
The problems you can experience with components and libraries are endless. These problems are the most significant source of design issues and the biggest reason behind respins, costing companies untold amounts of lost profit annually.
If you want to have a better understanding of how to use Altium 365 to maintain a strong and centralized library that is free of problems and headaches, you may want to consider attending this lecture.
As much as we would like to build every high speed PCB perfectly, with ideal SI/PI/EMI characteristics, it isn’t always possible due to many practical constraints. Sometimes a stackup can be “good enough,” even for a high-speed PCB. This always comes from the need to balance engineering constraints, functional requirements, and the need to ensure signal and power integrity in a high-speed design, and finally to ensure compliance with EMC requirements.
When it's time to release your project to your manufacturer, it's essential to ensure that all the necessary design aspects like assembly, BOM, and documentation are accurately and completely conveyed. Consistency is key to ensuring a successful release. Without clear release documentation, the designer faces increased risks of costly manufacturing response, time-consuming rework, or unintentional defects that can make it into the final product.
Involving the whole team that will bring a product to completion early on in the development cycle is vital to efficient development. Design reviews with all the relevant parties are critical at each step of the design process, starting with high-level component selection, then through the schematic capture and PCB layout stages.
No-clean flux has become popular due to its convenience. Learn more about why this solution is used, why cleaning might still be necessary, and how to remove no-clean flux residues. We will try to dispel all these doubts in this brand new article.
Simulation of electronic circuits is a key factor in the success of your design. A SPICE circuit simulator may be used to speed up the design analysis. Learn more about how Altium Designer can help you with automated measurements, saving you time and money during the design process.
Check out our refreshed feature page about Rigid-Flex PCB Design and see how Altium Designer’s unified environment can help you manage this kind of project with no limitations or additional licensing required.
Thermal problems in PCBs often go unnoticed until prototyping, which can be costly. Design teams can't afford endless iterations, but they can conduct lower-cost thermal prototypes. Learn more about this approach in our new article.
Discover six challenges of managing disconnected PLM workflows in electronics product development. Identify your main challenge and find the solution here.
In this article, we will examine specific cases involving these types of components, where a very low-frequency signal or a DC signal needs to be measured, and the return path must be tracked to ensure the current loop is tight.
Replicate your circuits across multiple blocks with just a few clicks using a flawless preview pane, ensuring consistent, perfect results without the need for trial and error. Check out our new article on the PCB Layout Replication feature.
Pin headers are common components in PCBs, yet one specification often overlooked is the plating material. Discover more about plating materials for electrical connectors in our latest article.
In this blog, we explain the reasons behind our decision to operate Altium 365 GovCloud within AWS GovCloud (US). This partnership is guided by a clear vision: to provide our users with a secure, compliant, and reliable platform for sensitive electronics design data.
Magnetic components driven by an AC signal can exhibit an irritating property due to magnetostriction - an effect causing vibrations in magnetic materials, resulting in audible sound. Explore this phenomenon further and discover methods to minimize its impact.
Dive into a dynamic design experience where you can visualize and edit your circuits in true 3D, offering unparalleled precision. Altium Designer's 3D-MID (Mechatronic Integrated Device) Design tool revolutionizes the design process, providing a fresh perspective. Explore the capabilities and benefits of this feature in our comprehensive guide.
In today's world, many products utilize multiple PCBs interconnected with each other, often leading to a complex network of cables within an enclosure. The most effective way to manage these wires and cables is by constructing a wiring harness. This article explores the various types of harnesses used in electronics.
Z2Data Integration in Altium 365 offers a practical way forward for engineering and procurement. Here are the top five advantages that can streamline your workflows.
Are you curious about how Altium Designer's PLM integration is revolutionizing electronics design? Bid farewell to inefficiencies and expensive revisions, and embark on discovering the cutting-edge approach to managing design data. Dive into our latest article to learn how to leverage this new standard in design data management.
Level up your design skills with Altium Designer 24 training! Whether you're looking to brush up on the basics or delve into advanced techniques, our instructor-led or on-demand videos will help you master the latest features.
Discover how Altium 365 can be your ally in making agile hardware development a practical reality.