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Embedded thumbnail for Altium 365 Getting Started: Schematic Compare
Getting Started with A365
Altium 365 Getting Started: Schematic Compare

The schematic sheets in a project are subject to change over time, and sometimes it may be necessary to compare several different versions and detect differences between them. In Altium Designer you can easily perform an automatic comparison of any revisions of schematic documents. 

Embedded thumbnail for Altium 365 Getting Started: Migrate to Altium 365 from other VCS
Getting Started with A365
Altium 365 Getting Started: Migrate to Altium 365 from other VCS

The development of electronic devices always involves the release of many different types of files. And these files are not static - they change as the project progresses. Traditionally, one way to manage data is to use a version control system such as Git or SVN. Unlike other VCSs, Altium 365 is the system designed specifically for managing project data.

Everything You Need to Know About Stitching Vias
Blog
Everything You Need to Know About Stitching Vias

This one area of PCB design can be contentious among some designers as it is related to copper pour, which it is often stated is not needed in most designs. Regardless of your feelings about copper pour, stitching vias have important uses in PCBs at low frequencies and at high frequencies.

Embedded thumbnail for How to get a BOM for a Multi-board Design
How-To's
How to get a BOM for a Multi-board Design

When designing a multi-board project, an up-to-date and accurate BOM for the entire device is a necessity. Watch this video to learn how to properly create a BOM for your multi-board project.

Embedded thumbnail for Remove Unused Pad Shapes
Working with Polygons
Remove Unused Pad Shapes

Unused pad shapes create holes in your copper geometries. You can quickly examine all pads in the design to remove unused pad shapes and restore previously removed pads. 

Embedded thumbnail for Effective use of "Objects for snapping" when creating a Footprint
How to use Snapping
Effective use of "Objects for snapping" when creating a Footprint

Learn how to effectively use snaps that allow you to create a component footprint quickly and conveniently

All About Box Build Assemblies
Blog
All About Box Build Assemblies

When you’re ready to manufacture a new device at production volume, there are many aspects of the product that must come together. The enclosure, cabling and connectors, embedded software/firmware, and of course the PCBA all have to be considered in totality. There is a quick way to get your product into a usable enclosure, complete with input power and cabling, and with a form factor that fits your PCBA. This overused route to a new product is a box build assembly. 

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.

Ultra-HDI Technology is Not New
Blog
Ultra-HDI Technology is Not New

Printed circuit board fabricators have become skilled at manufacturing these technologies and also at understanding the reliability and producibility challenges associated with high-density-interconnect technology. Let’s look at where the PCB industry is at today. 

Embedded thumbnail for How to Control Routing in Altium Designer
How-To's
How to Control Routing in Altium Designer

The routing functionality in Altium Designer is constantly evolving. Check out this video to learn the basics of routing in Altium Designer. 

Embedded thumbnail for Polygon Creation
Working with Polygons
Polygon Creation

Learn how to create polygon pours to ensure proper copper distribution on your board.

Today's PCB Designers Are Driving Electronics Product Design
Blog
Today's PCB Designers Are Driving Electronics Product Design

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.

Embedded thumbnail for Creating Guide Lines and Snap Points
How to use Snapping
Creating Guide Lines and Snap Points

Explanation of guides and snap points and how to create and use them.

Phased Array Antenna Design for 5G Applications
Blog
Phased Array Antenna Design for 5G Applications

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.

Embedded thumbnail for Polygon Types and Parameters
Working with Polygons
Polygon Types and Parameters

Each board requires different copper geometries. Polygon types make sure you can create the perfect copper geometry for every need.

Embedded thumbnail for How to Define Different Clearance for Internal and External Layers
How-To's
How to Define Different Clearance for Internal and External Layers

If you need to define difference clearance values for your external and internal layers, the answer is with design rules. We’ll walk you through it in this short video. 

IPC - Vias
Blog
IPC - Vias

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.

Advantages of Using a Version Control System for Your Next Project
On-Demand Webinar
Advantages of Using a Version Control System for Your Next Project

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 Analysis in Your PCB Design Software
Blog
Power Integrity Analysis in Your PCB Design Software

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.

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Intrusive Soldering
Blog
When Should You Use Intrusive Soldering?

Through-hole components are frequently employed in power electronics, particularly when dealing with AC power from a wall outlet. In this article, you can delve into the intrusive soldering process and discover when it can be applied in PCB design.

Blog
What Makes a PCB Enclosure Rugged?

Whether you purchase products off-the-shelf or online, they all come housed within an enclosure. In some cases, these enclosures are intentionally ruggedized to withstand harsh environments or mechanical shocks. You can learn more about enclosures in this new and interesting article.

Blog
Concept Phase – Lid Assembly Design Part 2

We are continuing our journey through the lid assembly design phase of our Open Source Laptop project. In this section, we will discuss the layout of the test adapter and provide a demonstration of the first test for the display panel, along with the initial steps involved in assembling the boards.

Blog
Concept Phase – Lid Assembly Design Part 1

In the exciting next phase of the open-source laptop project we're (finally) diving into design, and getting hands-on with the display panel. Discover how we're selecting the right panel, integrating it seamlessly, and creating a custom DisplayPort adapter to illuminate the screen. Plus, learn how our choices impact features like microphones, webcams, and touch sensors, and how Altium can help bring it all to life. It’s not too late to join as we continue on this innovative journey!

Blog
Unleashing the Power of Concurrent PCB Design

Concurrent PCB Design is essential to unlocking the full potential of engineering teams and delivering innovative products that meet the demands of the modern world. Learn more about the main capabilities and the numerous benefits of this upcoming feature in Altium Designer.

Blog
Crosstalk Reduction and Elimination Techniques in Altium Designer

Whether you're designing a digital board with a ton of traces, or an RF board operating at very high frequencies, any electronic device with propagating signals will experience crosstalk. Learn more about some sure-fire ways you can reduce crosstalk in your high-speed designs.

Blog
Baxandall Volume Control for Audio

The Baxandall volume control is an especially useful, flexible, and simple-to-implement circuit for numerous audio designs. In this article, we will demonstrate how to design this type of equipment.

Blog
RF Power Amplifier Module PCB Design

RF power amplifiers can be found in many wireless products, often integrated into chipsets or modems. However, in certain specialized systems, you might require higher power output at a specific frequency. This necessitates a discrete amplifier circuit to deliver that power. In this article, we present an example project for a power amplifier that you can incorporate into your RF project.

Blog
Avoid GIGO in Your PCB Simulation Tools

Simulation tools are extremely useful for understanding electromagnetic behavior in a design. Learn more about how to avoid obtaining inaccurate results during your PCB simulation process.

Benefits of Ultra HDI
Blog
The Benefits of Ultra HDI

Learn more about the combination of using both flexible materials and ultra-HDI feature sizes in this article.

Blog
Concept Phase – Cooling and Airflow Part 1

Next step in our open-source laptop project is to explain how to design cooling and airflow. In this article, we can show you the first part of this process, such as airflow concept, fan measurement and clearance.

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Embedded thumbnail for Creating Differential Pairs in the Schematic
How to Work with Differential Pairs
Creating Differential Pairs in the Schematic

Learn how to create differential pairs on the schematic side.

Embedded thumbnail for Measuring in the PCB
How-To's
Measuring in the PCB

Altium Designer gives you fine grained control over how you measure object distances in the PCB. When spacing is such a critical aspect of board layout, this control is absolutely necessary. We'll show you how to utilize the measure distance command and measure selected objects, as well as how to measure tracks and faces of 3D bodies.

Embedded thumbnail for Quantel Laser | MCAD and ECAD Designers Collaborate with Altium
Discovering Altium 365
Quantel Laser | MCAD and ECAD Designers Collaborate with Altium

In this video, Quantel’s engineers - Jeremie Waller (Senior Electrical Engineer) is using Altium Designer for ECAD and Laine McNeil (Senior Mechanical Engineer) is using Solidworks for MCAD. They are both in an Altium 365 workspace that allows them to closely collaborate while staying in their own familiar design environment.

Embedded thumbnail for Using Free (Any) Angle Routing
How-To's
Using Free (Any) Angle Routing

In this video, you will see how Altium Designer now makes it extremely easy to create curved corners in your designs. Previously, arc-in-corner routing was only supported during interactive routing, but not in Push&Shove mode or during track sliding. The new Push&Shove engine solves this by adding arcs during push and shove and also during track sliding, which is done by switching to any angle corner mode to perform snake routing.

Embedded thumbnail for Snapping When Creating Routes
How to use Snapping
Snapping When Creating Routes

Learn how to effectively use snapping to facilitate routing.

Embedded thumbnail for How to edit or manage your board shape in Altium Designer | Rigid-flex
How to Work with Rigid-Flex PCBs
How to edit or manage your board shape in Altium Designer | Rigid-flex

Altium Designer 21 features many powerful tools for creating and editing your rigid-flex board shape. We’ll show you how to use to the board planning mode to create board shape and define regions as well as edit their properties for easy identification and functionality.

Embedded thumbnail for How Breville Innovates 4x Faster with Altium
Discovering Altium 365
How Breville Innovates 4x Faster with Altium

Learn how Breville, a consumer electronics company from Australia, was able to speed up its product development process by at least four times with Altium 365. 

Embedded thumbnail for How to use the Property Panel in Altium Designer
How-To's
How to use the Property Panel in Altium Designer

How to use the Property Panel in Altium Designer: The properties panel is your information hub for all objects in Altium Designer. Watch this video to learn how to best use the properties dialog in Altium Designer. 

Embedded thumbnail for How to Improve Routing Using Glossing
How-To's
How to Improve Routing Using Glossing

Routes for your design can get messy, leading to inefficiency and waste. Altium Designer’s Glossing features can help! We’ll show you how to clean up your interactive routing as you route, how to gloss tracks already routed, and some tips and tricks to clean them up exactly how you want them.

Embedded thumbnail for Tenting Vias in Altium Designer
How-To's
Tenting Vias in Altium Designer

This video shows how to tent vias in Altium Designer by using design rules. Since vias are often located very close to pads, during assembly, solder paste sometimes flows into vias, which, in turn, leads to poor soldering quality. To avoid this, cover vias with a solder mask layer.

Embedded thumbnail for How to Create and Validate Return Paths in Altium Designer
How-To's
How to Create and Validate Return Paths in Altium Designer

For high-speed projects where there are lines with a given impedance, it is important to maintain a consistent return signal path. For the return signal, reference planes are created in the form of polygons and the polygons must maintain integrity along the entire path of the signal. This video shows how consistent return paths are created and validated. 

Embedded thumbnail for How to Edit Component Directly on PCB
How-To's
How to Edit Component Directly on PCB

Once you’ve pulled your components with an ECO into the PCB you may need to edit them. We’ll show you how to edit your components in the PCB view.

Embedded thumbnail for How to Control Tuning in Altium Designer
How-To's
How to Control Tuning in Altium Designer

When dealing with high frequency boards, it is necessary to match the timing of certain nets and differential pairs. In this video, we’ll go over how to use the tuning tool to match trace lengths based on the design rules. Using the Interactive Length Tuning command, you will begin tuning and can then use the Properties panel to configure the properites of the tuning segment.

Embedded thumbnail for How to Use Text Justification
How-To's
How to Use Text Justification

This video demonstrates how to use the justification function to align text on the PCB.

Embedded thumbnail for How to control net propagation delay
How-To's
How to control net propagation delay

When dealing with high-frequency boards it's necessary to match the timing of certain nets and differential pairs. In this video, we’ll go over how to use the tuning tool to match trace lengths based on design rules. 

Embedded thumbnail for How to Edit or Manage Board Shape
How-To's
How to Edit or Manage Board Shape

Board shapes can be edited and managed several different ways in Altium Designer. We’ll show you how using 2D and 3D modes and models as well as importing from DXF or DWG.

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