News & Updates
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Design Rule Checking in the PCB Design Workflow
Any time you design a PCB, and you want to turn it into a real product, you will have to make sure the design obeys the constraints within the standard PCB manufacturing process. This imposes multiple rules on any design, and ECAD software will enforce design rules as you create the board to ensure you obey these important constraints. Make sure you enforce the right design rules at the beginning of the PCB design workflow
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Best Practices for High-Frequency PCB Material Selection
High frequency PCB design can seem esoteric, and I've heard many an engineer describe it as "black magic"! The subject is also a bit confusing, especially once someone asks which frequencies could be reasonably considered "high". Before you do anything inside the layout for a high-speed or RF PCB, you will need to pay attention to the materials being used in the board. If you're unsure which high frequency PCB materials you should use, then keep reading to learn more.
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PCB Noise Reduction: Do You Need Isolation, Shielding, or Filters?
Of all the noise and operational challenges designers face in their PCBs, there is one overarching problem that is arguably most popular: electronic noise. It could originate as an SI/PI problem, it could possibly arise from some external source, or it could be good old-fashioned crosstalk! These tend to fall into three categories: adding shielding, doing something to create isolation, or placing filters. Let's look at all of these as they tend to be the default solution set when confronted with many noise problems.
On-Demand Webinar
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CoDesigner and MCAD Component Placement On-Demand Webinar
We design products not just PCBs requiring effective collaboration between MCAD and ECAD engineers. We need to consider how we can reduce the likelihood of errors when placing critical design components. Component placement in the context of enclosures can be easily handled in an MCAD environment while it is more difficult to achieve in the ECAD domain. Learn how to place components from the MCAD side and synchronize them with Altium Designer ECAD models, designators, and sourcing data to simplify your design process.
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What’s New in Altium 365: Version Control for Hardware, Layer Stackup in Web Viewer, and SOC 2 Type 1 Certification
In February, we hit a new record in the number of users on the platform. The Altium 365 user community is now 20,000 strong! You can now migrate from an external version control system to Altium 365 preserving the history of commits. We also received the SOC 2 Type 1 certification from KPMG, made layer stack available in the web viewer, and added the brand new capability to track tasks in the context of your design project. Keep reading to learn more!
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Introducing Spectra's Electronic Design to Delivery Index
Get a cohesive view of supply chain market conditions, stay on top of trends, and avoid disruption with this free, monthly report from Spectra.
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Support for Rigid-Flex in Altium Designer
Rigid-flex in Altium Designer starts with designing a manufacturable PCB layer stack complete with via transitions and any calculated impedance requirements. Flex sections also need to be placed in the layer stack before moving into the PCB layout. Once inside the PCB editor, bending lines can be clearly defined in the PCB layout, and these can be visualized in Altium Designer's 3D PCB design tools. Keep reading to see how Altium Designer supports your flex and rigid-flex designs.
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Communicating PCB Layer Stackup Needs to Manufacturers
In the business of PCB design, communicating needs to manufacturers and vendors is a top priority. The context of our requests is sometimes lost either by not providing the correct information, not listing enough information, or not giving any information. Although the experienced PCB designer can take steps to specify everything they want to see in their PCB stackup, eventaully the manufacturer will handle that decision in an effort to balance available materials with processing capabilities and yield.
On-Demand Webinar
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Intelligent Supply Chain Webinar
Many factors can affect your supply chain. Currently, supply disruptions are being felt due to the effect of the Covid-19 Pandemic. In this webinar, learn how Concord Pro on Altium 365 can mitigate disruptions in your supply chain and help you stay on schedule and budget for your designs.
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Risk Vs. Reward
During the recent IPC APEX expo, there was a lot of discussion about SAP, or semi-additive PCB processes. As with any new technology adoption there were people that are excited to jump right in and start designing with much finer feature sizes and work through the inevitable changes to the traditional thought process. Others are in a "let’s wait and see" mode and of course there are a few skeptics there as well, so keep reading to learn more.
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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.
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How to 'Shift Left' and Connect Procurement and Engineering? Altium 365 BOM Portal Step-by-Step
Learn why BOM management is critical for both procurement managers and electronic engineers. Altium 365 BOM Portal helps to bridge the gap between these worlds. Discover how!
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Altium 365 Assembly Assistant: Available Now in the Altium Store
Happy New Year! 🎉 We are thrilled to announce that the Altium 365 Assembly Assistant is now officially released and available for direct purchase through the Altium Store.
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Simple Documentation for Hand PCB Assembly
Creating documentation for hand PCB assembly does not prevent the same documentation from being utilized to assist in automated PCB assembly. Learn more about the optimal format for this data to enhance both your hand PCB assembly and overall assembly processes.
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Constraint Manager: Precision in Every Detail
Explore the powerful features of Altium Designer 24! Experience Constraint Manager and revolutionize your PCB design with reusable constraint sets, schematic-to-board rule transition, easy class and differential pair grouping, and more.
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Accelerate Last-Minute Design Changes with Altium 365
Curious about how to solve production blockers before they derail your product launch? Explore how Altium 365® can help you swiftly manage last-minute design changes.
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Design Phase – Lid Assembly Electronics Part 1
We are advancing our Open Source Laptop project to the next stage: assembling lid electronics. In the first part of this phase, we are focusing on the electronics and PCB design of the webcam module.
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3 Common Challenges Stopping Your Production Line
The efficiency of production lines is crucial for any successful hardware product development. However, some challenges derail these processes. Do you face these problems, too? Let’s find out!
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Explore New Possibilities with True 3D-MID Design
3D-MID technology seamlessly integrates electrical circuits with three-dimensional mechanical parts. This unique fusion of functionality unlocks a myriad of possibilities across various application areas. Explore more about this innovative feature, available in Altium Designer 24, to delve into the fascinating world of the 3D design process.
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Strategies to Minimize PCB Damage
The PCB design process is always an exciting journey for a designer or the founder of a project. The first run of it can be breathtaking. In this article, we delve into strategies for minimizing PCB damage in the case of an exemplary circuit.
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Fragmented Feedback Loops: The Hidden Cost in PCB Design and Testing
Explore the hidden impact of fragmented feedback loops in PCB design and testing. Check how minor communication gaps lead to significant financial burdens and learn how to address them.
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Altium 365 GovCloud 101: Everything You Need to Know
Would you like to improve the protection of your data? Altium 365 GovCloud can help you achieve these goals. It’s a version of Altium 365, engineered to meet the stringent demands of US government regulations.
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Design Phase – Lid Assembly Mechanics Part 3
We are heightening the anticipation for our Open Source Laptop project. In this chapter, we delve into the ambient light sensor module. Learn more about how to implement it into this project.
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PCB CoDesign: Design Faster Together
Experience accelerated design collaboration with PCB CoDesign, exclusively available on Altium Designer starting from December 13th. This innovative feature adopts a collaborative approach by seamlessly integrating schematic and PCB design, enabling multiple engineers to work on the same project. Explore this cutting-edge feature on our newly launched page dedicated to its functionalities.
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6 Steps to Accelerate the Development of Complex Products
Learn the key lessons from the presentation at Iteration22; “Joe Justice, Wikispeed - Everyone Must Be a Chief Engineer at SpaceX.” Read on and discover how to speed up the development of complex products.
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Design Phase – Lid Assembly Mechanics Part 2
We are continuing our journey into lid assembly mechanics inside the Open Source Laptop Project. In this chapter, we are focusing on the sensor PCB above the display panel.
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