Welcome, Guest

Sign in to learn, create, and do more with the product you love.

News & Updates

Filters:
Tag
Embedded thumbnail for Working with Dimensions: Draftsman Documents
How to Work with Draftsman
Working with Dimensions: Draftsman Documents

Draftsman Documents provide dimensioning tools to capture and display the physical features of the product for fabrication and documentation. 

Properties Panel Tuning
Blog
Properties Panel Tuning

High-speed PCBs often require tuning groups of tracks, both single and differential. Altium Designer includes powerful tools that allow you to solve such tasks quickly and with high quality. Study this document and achieve the desired result even faster.

Three Methods for Building MCAD Ready Components
On-Demand Webinar
Three Methods for Building MCAD Ready Components

One of the most difficult and frustrating things to arise when traveling to a foreign country is the language barrier. Communicating a simple greeting can sometimes seem like a big hassle. The same thing is true for different CAD tools. When your tools aren’t speaking the same language, you’re going to run into problems. Bridge this gap by building out your component libraries with everything it takes to truly define a component, including 3D models that seamlessly propagate into the PCB editor and beyond.

Reflectionless Matching vs. Conjugate Matching: An Apparent Contradiction
Blog
Reflectionless Matching vs. Conjugate Matching: An Apparent Contradiction

There is one confusion related to impedance matching that comes up again and again, and it appears to be a fundamental confusion between reflection and power delivery. This leads to an apparent contradiction that arises when we try to generalize power delivery to wave reflection, despite the fact that the two were not meant to be related.

Embedded thumbnail for Impedance Calculations: Differential Pairs
Impedance calculation
Impedance Calculations: Differential Pairs

Altium designer makes it easy to calculate geometry when you need to calculate impedance for differential pairs. We’ll go over how differential pairs can help with a two layer and multi layer board, as well as what types you can create such as differential co-planar, and how to configure them for your specific design.

Properties Panel Routing
Blog
Properties Panel Routing

Routing is one of the most time-consuming stages of PCB design. Altium Designer has a large set of tools that allow you to do it as accurately and quickly as possible. This document will help you to learn how to manage your routing effectively and use it to its fullest extent.

Embedded thumbnail for Creating and using templates
How to Work with Draftsman
Creating and using templates

Draftsman Templates are a quick way of laying out your Draftsman Document in Altium Designer. We’ll show you how to utilize them and the differences between sheet and document templates.

Quarter-Wave Transformer Design For Real and Reactive Loads
Blog
Quarter-Wave Transformer Design For Real and Reactive Loads

RF systems operate with specific impedance values across entire interconnects, including on PCBs. Not all RF components are packaged in integrated circuits with defined impedances, so impedance matching circuits and line sections are needed to ensure signal transmission between different sections of an interconnect. One of these impedance matching techniques is the quarter-wave impedance transformer, which can be implemented as a printed trace with specific impedance.

Embedded thumbnail for Adding 3D Assemblies to a Multi-Board Project
How to work with Multiboard
Adding 3D Assemblies to a Multi-Board Project

The next step in the multiboard design process is adding 3D PCB Assemblies. We’ll show you how to add them to your design and how to work with the Assembly Editor.

Embedded thumbnail for Altium 365 - Design Collaboration | Tasks
Getting Started with A365
Altium 365 - Design Collaboration | Tasks

The Tasks feature brings lightweight task tracking to further enhance design collaboration in Altium 365. With Tasks, you will never lose an important action item and easily gain a high-level view of the state of your project, all without leaving your design environment. 

Schematic
Blog
Altium Designer 22.10 Update

We are happy to announce that the Altium Designer 22.10 update is now available. Altium Designer 22.10 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!

Component Warpage Causes in a PCB
Blog
Component Warpage Causes in a PCB

A staff member at a PCB manufacturer once explained to me that they thought we were having an issue with a package warping. Unfortunately, component warping can occur both in a PCB and in components. In this article, we'll give an overview of warpage in a PCB, specifically in the circuit board and in the components.

Article preview
On-Demand Webinar
8 Reasons to Store Your Components in Altium 365

Working with local libraries seems like a simple solution, but we often don’t take into account the added time spent maintaining libraries and sharing them between team members. There is no good way to avoid duplicate efforts with component creation and no standardization to ensure consistent naming. Worst of all, there is no way to identify the latest component revision, and library files can be easily corrupted or misplaced. This webinar showcases the advantages of component storage in Аltium 365 to resolve the issues of local libraries and component management.

Link Budget Calculator
Blog
RF Signal Chain and Link Budget Basics

If you're designing a wireless IoT device, and you know how to calculate the link budget, you can reasonably estimate whether your signal will reach its destination and be read by the receiver. To calculate the link budget, the designer needs to know something about all other sources of gain and loss in the system. Once link budget is determined, the designer can judge whether some modification is needed in their RF signal chain. 

Embedded thumbnail for Adding Additional Views in a Draftsman Document
How to Work with Draftsman
Adding Additional Views in a Draftsman Document

If you need additional views in your documentation, Altium Designer’s Draftsman Document editor can help. We’ll show you how to add and configure different views including the component view, the section view, the detail view, the isometric view, variants, the legend for the layer stack, the board region view, and the board realistic view.

Embedded thumbnail for Draftsman Document Views - Fabrication and Drill Drawings
How to Work with Draftsman
Draftsman Document Views - Fabrication and Drill Drawings

The Draftsman Document Editor allows you to add a fabrication view and a drill drawing view to your outjob files. We’ll show you how to get them set up and details you can control from the properties panel.

How to Calculate SMD Pad Sizes?
Blog
Best Methods for Calculating SMD Pad Size in PCB Design

SMD components require precisely sized pads for soldering during assembly. The designer is responsible for ensuring pad sizes are correct, either by calculating them and comparing with footprint data, looking through datasheets, or by memorizing SMD pad size standards. If you have a component and you don't have access to the footprint, and you decide to biuld the footprint yourself, what resources are available to ensure you have the correct pad size?

Embedded thumbnail for Altium 365 - Version Control | Project History
Getting Started with A365
Altium 365 - Version Control | Project History

Project History in a Nutshell: - Presents events in a chronological timeline (Creation, Commits, Releases, Clones, and MCAD Exchanges) - Auto-generates Differences Summary to view the differing entities (e.g., replaced components) - Even a non-expert can act on a revision (Download, View, Revert)

Can You Fix a Warped PCB?
Blog
Can You Fix a Warped PCB?

Before we get too deep into this article, I’ll give you the simple answer. You probably can’t fix warping in your PCB after it’s already been fabricated. You can prevent an unwarped board from becoming warped during assembly, but only as long as materials were selected properly and the board is put into reflow correctly. We’ll run over some of these points in this article, and I’ll examine some points that might help you recover a warped board.

Embedded thumbnail for Resolving Conflicts in Multi-board Schematics
How to work with Multiboard
Resolving Conflicts in Multi-board Schematics

When mismatched pin names in your multi-board schematic cause disconnects and conflicts you can use Altium Designer’s tools to resolve these conflicts. We’ll show you the Connection Manager and the various solutions to solve your connection issues.

Tag
Blog
Altium Designer: Leading the Charge in PCB Design Innovation

In the dynamic field of electronics design, Altium Designer stands out as a pioneer, continuously advancing the boundaries of PCB (Printed Circuit Board) design. Discover the latest innovations in 3D-MID design, high-speed design, and interactive routing in this new article by David Marrakchi.

Blog
What Is Solder Mask Expansion and Which Value Should You Use?

Check out our new article explaining how to ensure sufficient pad area for soldering, manage misregistration tolerance, and maintain proper solder dams between components. It also highlights the role of collaboration with fabrication houses and the use of CAD tools in defining land patterns for advanced electronics designs.

Blog
Pi.MX8 Project - Board Layout Part 3

We continue our exploration of the Pi.MX8 open-source computer module project. In this new installment, we focus on routing planning and then cover all the layers' routing with all the details you need to know if you want to prepare a similar project.

Blog
Mastering Blind and Buried Vias

Check our compilation of essential resources you'll need to use blind and buried vias successfully in an HDI PCB. In our brand new article, we present the main and most valuable information about this technology, which may not be new but is still highly useful in High-Density Interconnect projects.

Blog
Make Sure to Clean Your No-Clean Flux

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.

Blog
How to Design a Thermal Prototype PCB

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.

Blog
DC-Aware Return Current in Mixed Signal PCBs

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.

Blog
PCB Layout Replication: The Perfect Tool for Test Jigs

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.

Altium 365 GovCloud Why We Chose AWS GovCloud (US) Cover
Blog
4 Reasons Why We Chose AWS GovCloud (US) for Altium 365 GovCloud

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.

Tag
Embedded thumbnail for Altium Training - Design Environment: The Altium Environment
How-To's
Altium Training - Design Environment: The Altium Environment

Get familiar with the core workspace layout and navigation methods. In this video, you’ll see how to open schematic and PCB documents, work within the unified design environment, and move between multiple open files using document tabs and keyboard shortcuts.

Embedded thumbnail for Altium Training - Design Environment: Opening a Project from a Local Drive
Altium Training
Altium Training - Design Environment: Opening a Project from a Local Drive

Get your PCB design workflow off to a smooth start. This Altium tutorial walks you through opening projects from your local directory - a core skill that keeps your process efficient and organized from day one.

Embedded thumbnail for Altium Essentials: Design Environment
Altium Training
Altium Essentials: Design Environment

Take control of your PCB design workflow with Altium Essentials: Design Environment. This tutorial module guides you through the fundamentals of workspace management, from handling panels and documents to mastering menus, context commands, and time-saving shortcuts.

Embedded thumbnail for What Makes a Great PCB Design Review Submission?
How-To's
What Makes a Great PCB Design Review Submission?

Turn your PCB designs into professional-grade submissions. At Altium, we reveal the key practices that transform schematics, layouts, and documentation into review-ready work that stands out. Watch our brand-new tutorial and take your PCB design process to the next level.

Embedded thumbnail for Altium Training - Workspace Folder Structure: Opening the Explorer Panel
Altium Training
Altium Training - Workspace Folder Structure: Opening the Explorer Panel

Discover the key ways to access the Explorer panel in Altium Designer with this step-by-step tutorial. The video walks you through four different methods, giving you the freedom to choose the approach that best fits your workflow.

Embedded thumbnail for Altium Essentials: Workspace Folder Structure Overview
Altium Training
Altium Essentials: Workspace Folder Structure Overview

Altium Essentials: Workspace Folder Structure is a tutorial series designed for PCB designers who are learning the fundamentals of navigating an Altium workspace. This playlist walks through key Explorer panel skills, including multiple ways to open it (via keyboard shortcuts, menus, panel buttons, and workspaces), navigating projects, and understanding the panel’s six core information areas.

Embedded thumbnail for NFC Reader Project Part One: Schematics to PCB in Altium
How-To's
NFC Reader Project Part One: Schematics to PCB in Altium

Check out our new, in-depth NFC Reader Project tutorial! In this two-part video series, we design an ESP32-based NFC transceiver board from schematics to PCB layout. In Part 1, we dive into the TRF7970A NFC chip from Texas Instruments and guide you step-by-step through the complete design process in Altium.

Embedded thumbnail for HDI PCB Design Review: nRF52840 Via Sizing & Stack-Up Best Practices
How-To's
HDI PCB Design Review: nRF52840 Via Sizing & Stack-Up Best Practices

Explore key HDI design strategies, from calculating aspect ratios and optimizing pad diameters to managing drill tolerances and refining stack-ups for improved signal integrity. This comprehensive review highlights practical solutions to common HDI challenges, including via-in-pad layouts, clearance violations, and layer thickness adjustments for both mechanical and laser drilling processes.

Embedded thumbnail for 13 Common PCB Problems & How to Fix Them in Altium
How-To's
13 Common PCB Problems & How to Fix Them in Altium

Stop wasting time on manufacturing rework. This guide shows you how to set up Altium’s design rules to prevent the 13 PCB issues that most often derail production ensuring your boards are built right the first time.

Embedded thumbnail for What's Inside Your MCU Module?
How-To's
What's Inside Your MCU Module?

Are you curious about what’s inside a microcontroller module? Join us as we take a closer look at the Texas Instruments CC3235 Wi-Fi module under the microscope. In this video, we’ll explore its key components, including the microcontroller, flash memory, and RF circuitry, and explain how they work together to power the module.

Embedded thumbnail for Arduino to Custom PCB: Professional Design Transformation
How-To's
Arduino to Custom PCB: Professional Design Transformation

Discover how to upgrade your Arduino Nano-based PCB design into a professional, custom PCB. This tutorial walks through the process of replacing development boards with individual components to create a production-ready design, using a real drone project as the example.

Embedded thumbnail for PCB Library Management: One Library or Many?
How-To's
PCB Library Management: One Library or Many?

This detailed guide walks you through the pros and cons of each approach and offers proven strategies for managing component data, whether you're an independent designer or overseeing libraries for an entire organization.

Embedded thumbnail for Coming Soon: Sawtooth Rounding Support for Length Tuning
New in Altium Designer 25
Coming Soon: Sawtooth Rounding Support for Length Tuning

Sawtooth Rounding for Length Tuning improves signal‑path accuracy by applying controlled corner‑rounding to sawtooth geometries during both Interactive Length Tuning and within‑pair matching in the Auto Tuning engine. Discover this capability and additional innovations on our Coming Soon page.

Embedded thumbnail for Coming Soon: Z-Axis Clearance Rule
New in Altium Designer 25
Coming Soon: Z-Axis Clearance Rule

The Z-Axis Clearance Rule checks the shortest distance between copper features on different layers in a PCB design. It is available in both the Constraint Manager and the legacy PCB Rules Editor. Discover more new features in Altium on our Coming Soon Page.

Embedded thumbnail for Coming Soon: Advanced Polygon Pour Engine
New in Altium Designer 25
Coming Soon: Advanced Polygon Pour Engine

Now supports true arcs instead of approximated curves in copper pours. This enhanced engine marks a major advancement in the polygon pour process in Altium Designer, delivering smoother and more accurate copper shapes. Native arc rendering improves visual quality and helps ensure cleaner, more professional PCB designs.

Embedded thumbnail for How to Design Rigid-Flex PCB Stackups from Scratch
How-To's
How to Design Rigid-Flex PCB Stackups from Scratch

Watch this tutorial to learn the fundamentals of Rigid-Flex design. We cover everything from understanding polyimide materials and adhesive layers to building complex, multi-layer Rigid-Flex constructions that are ready for manufacturing.

Tag
Your search returns no results.