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PCB Design Data Management Tips for Multi-Board Projects

In complex electronic systems, managing data from multiple printed circuit boards can quickly become a logistical challenge. This article outlines a structured workflow for handling both board-level and assembly-level design outputs, ensuring clarity and consistency across fabrication, assembly and product-level documentation.

NEW
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How-To's
Altium Develop: Returning to Our Roots

Lawrence Romine unveils Altium’s groundbreaking approach to product development with Altium Develop. This innovative solution realigns the company with its core mission - empowering individual engineers and small teams. Explore the strategic vision behind creating a product that seamlessly balances accessibility, robust functionality, and intuitive design.

NEW
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Altium Training
Altium Training - Navigating Schematics: Schematic Preference Settings for Navigation

Unlock smarter design navigation in Altium! Learn how to customize navigation preferences to boost your design insight and visualize connectivity like never before. In this video, we’ll explore Design Insight settings, interactive connectivity hover features, and quick thumbnail navigation between schematic sheets. All designed to make your workflow faster, clearer, and more intuitive.

Blog
What Is BOM Management? A Practical Guide to Avoiding Costly Part Mismatches

From design to production, effective Bill of Materials (BOM) management is critical to ensuring smooth collaboration between engineering, procurement, and manufacturing teams. In this practical guide, we break down proven strategies for structuring, maintaining, and synchronizing your BOM to prevent costly mistakes and accelerate time-to-market.

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Requirements Portal Introductory Tutorials

This series of guided demos shows how the Altium Requirements Portal transforms scattered requirement spreadsheets and emails into traceable, version-controlled data that stays aligned with your PCB design efforts.

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How-To's
PCB Design Tools for Every Team Size: Altium's New Approach

Explore how Altium is transforming PCB design with software solutions built for teams of every size. In this exclusive PCB West 2025 interview, Justin Sears highlights the key distinctions between Altium Develop and Altium Agile helping you identify the ideal platform for your design needs.

Blog
Bridging the Gap: When to Use Rigid-Flex Instead of Flex & Connector

Discover when a rigid-flex PCB is a better choice than a separate flex circuit and connector, especially for designs requiring compact packaging, repeated motion or high reliability. The article emphasizes that although rigid-flex needs more upfront planning and fabrication collaboration, it often pays off in simpler assemblies and improved performance.

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How-To's
PCB Design: Sequential Lamination vs Sub-Lamination

Explore the key distinctions between sequential lamination and sub-lamination techniques, and learn how each approach influences microvia placement, board complexity, and design flexibility in high-density interconnect (HDI) circuit board fabrication.

 

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How-To's
PCB Design Review: Power Meter Layout Deep Dive

Gain practical insights into PCB design with an in-depth power meter project review, covering parameter optimization, BOM control, and IPC-compliant high-voltage spacing.

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How-To's
Drawing Tools for Pro Schematics in Altium

In our brand-new tutorial, you’ll learn how to create professional-looking schematics in Altium using built-in drawing tools and features. We’ll show you how to add custom title blocks, revision histories, tables of contents, block diagrams, and color schemes to make your schematics stand out.

Blog
How Structural Electronics Enables 3D, Flexible, and Wearable Integration

Structural electronics integrates electronic functionality directly into the physical structure of a product, eliminating the need for traditional circuit boards. This article examines how advances in materials, additive manufacturing, and flexible substrates are enabling compact, 3D, and wearable systems with enhanced performance and design freedom.

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How-To's
3 GHz RF Amplifier Deep Dive

Check out our design review of a 3.6 GHz RF amplifier! This in-depth analysis highlights schematic issues, PCB layout challenges, and key RF design principles to help you build better high-frequency circuits.

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How-To's
The Right Way to Use SIG/GND/PWR/SIG Stackups

Find out how to properly implement signal-ground-power-signal stackups in 4-layer PCB designs. Check out our tutorial from Zach Peterson, where he explains when to use dedicated power layers, how to route signals correctly over split power planes, and common mistakes to avoid for optimal EMI performance and signal integrity.

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Altium Training
Altium Training - Design Environment: Documents and Panels

In our new tutorial, we explore different panel display modes, including docked, floating, and tabbed grouping arrangements. Effective panel management is essential for creating an efficient design environment tailored to your specific workflow requirements.

Blog
Most Common Causes of PCB Assembly Rework and Scrap

Many PCB assemblies fail not because of exotic faults, but due to basic issues like incorrect BOM entries or footprint mismatches that force rework or scrap. This article dives into the most common causes and how to prevent costly defects in your design-to-manufacturing process.

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Blog
Simple Strategies to Reach 10% PCB Cost Reduction

Our new article outlines strategies to achieve a 10% reduction in PCB costs by optimizing design and material choices, such as adjusting stack-up materials and hole sizes, using lower-cost parts, and considering single-sided assembly. These techniques help reduce expenses without sacrificing quality.

Blog
Say Goodbye to EDA Software Vendor Lock

Check how Altium 365 helps eliminate EDA software vendor lock by enabling multi-CAD support in the cloud. This allows users to work with different CAD file formats within a single platform, enhancing collaboration and reducing the need for additional licenses. This approach offers greater flexibility and is set to transform the industry.

Blog
The Ultimate Introduction to High-Speed Signal Integrity for PCB Designers

High-speed signal integrity is essential in PCB design to ensure data accuracy and system reliability. Key issues like impedance mismatches, crosstalk, and signal reflections need to be addressed through strategies such as controlled impedance traces, differential pairs, and suitable material choices. Check out our first article of the series about this topic.

Blog
Multi-Board PCB Signal Integrity: A Complete Guide

Our new article on signal integrity in multi-board PCBs covers essential aspects like connector pinouts, cable designs, and interconnect strategies. These factors ensure reliable performance in high-speed applications across industries such as military, aerospace, and AI.

Blog
Pi.MX8 Project - Board Layout Part 4

We invite you to explore a new chapter in the PiMX8 Project, focusing on the final stages of PCB layout design for the Pi.MX8 compute module. This installment covers critical topics such as routing power planes and signal delay tuning, essential for ensuring proper functionality and performance.

Blog
How Thermoformed Flex PCB’s are Designed and Fabricated

Thermoformed flexible PCBs are specially designed and fabricated by heating and molding them into specific shapes, making them suitable for compact and complex applications like automotive dashboards and wearable devices. This process involves precise temperature control and careful handling to ensure durability and quality. Discover more from Tara Dunn's new article.

Blog
Boost Connection Integrity and Design Efficiency with Wire Bonding

Altium Designer's wire bonding feature enhances PCB design by supporting chip-up configurations for Chip on Board (CoB) designs. It offers easy validation of bond wiring in 3D views, ensuring accurate and efficient design processes. Check more about this feature on Altium's new feature page.

Blog
How High Frequency SMD Passives Work in a PCB Layout

High-frequency surface-mount device (SMD) passives like resistors and capacitors play a crucial role in PCB layouts, particularly in circuits operating above 1 GHz. Our article explores how these components function at high frequencies, their operational limits, and the importance of considering parasitic elements in design.

Blog
Essential DFM Tips for Aerospace Projects

Design for Manufacturing (DFM) is a crucial aspect of aerospace projects. This process ensures high-quality designs that meet the unique challenges of the aerospace industry, such as extreme conditions and stringent reliability standards. Learn more about essential DFM tips in our brand-new article.

Altium 365 New Website
Blog
Altium 365 now has its own website!

Discover everything you need to know about Altium 365 and experience our suite of applications for secure, seamless, and streamlined collaboration. Visit now to explore how to streamline your electronic product development.
 

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.

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Query Language
Query Language: How to Easily Create Expressions

In this video the main tools which allow to simplify the process of building a query in Altium Designer will be considered. There are several such tools and each of them has its own limitations and peculiarities of use. 

Embedded thumbnail for What to Consider when Designing Edge Connectors
DFM and Fabrication Cost/Time Constraints
What to Consider when Designing Edge Connectors

If your design requires edge connectors there are a few important things to consider. We’ll walk you through how to make sure your design with edge connectors is easy and manufacturable.

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RF PCB Design
Design RF PCB: Distributed-Element Circuits

Distributed-element circuits are a topology of a particular shape and size. Filters, power dividers, directional couplers can be built from them. Being calculated in third-party CAD, the topology of such elements can be easily imported into Altium Designer, and we will show you how to do it!

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How to work with Variants
Variants in Schematic Editor

You can quickly create and edit variants with the schematic Editor in Altium Designer. We’ll show you how to create and edit the variants in the schematic editor by utilizing the parameter variation tool, the edit component variation tool, part actions, toggling fitted or non fitted, and the variant manager.

Relative Length Tuning
What's New in 22.3
Relative Length Tuning

Designing high-speed PCB just got easier. The Length Tuning tools is now even more functionality. Complex tasks can now be solved even faster.

Relative Length Tuning
What's New in 22.3
相对长度调节

高速PCB设计变得更加轻松。Length Tuning工具现在具有更多功能。现在可以更加快速地解决复杂任务。

Enhanced UI for Via Stack Editing
What's New in 22.3
Enhanced UI for Via Stack Editing

The via editing mode is now even more convenient. Information about the via, editing its parameters and connections to polygons are now all in a new and simple, but familiar form.

Enhanced UI for Via Stack Editing
What's New in 22.3
可用于过孔堆栈编辑的增强型UI

过孔编辑模式现在更加便于使用。有关过孔、其参数编辑以及与多边形铺铜连接的信息,现在均将以一种全新、简单但熟悉的形式出现。

Generic Components
What's New in 22.3
Generic Components

The way from idea to real devices has become shorter. The new feature will reduce the time it takes to design a schematic.

Generic Components
What's New in 22.3
通用元件

从产生创意到变为实物所需的路程将越来越短。新功能将有助于缩短进行原理图设计所需的时间。

Embedded thumbnail for Designing a Silkscreen
DFM and Fabrication Cost/Time Constraints
Designing a Silkscreen

The silkscreen layer allows you to add text and extra detail that will appear in your final designed board. We'll show you how to get started and what to look for when creating a silkscreen.

Embedded thumbnail for Types of Component Variations
How to work with Variants
Types of Component Variations

Altium Designer allows you to implement several different types of component variations. We’ll show you the differences between fitted, modified parameters, not fitted, and alternate Part variations, as well as how to add and manage these variations for your design.

Embedded thumbnail for Query Language: Basic Concept Part III
Query Language
Query Language: Basic Concept Part III

Often the criterion for searching certain objects in Altium Designer is matching parameters to some string (text) values. Learn from this video how to use substitution symbols in queries and increase your productivity when working on projects

Embedded thumbnail for Solder Mask Expansion and Minimum Sliver
DFM and Fabrication Cost/Time Constraints
Solder Mask Expansion and Minimum Sliver

Using the solder mask expansion and the minimum solder mask sliver rules, you can make sure your solder mask layer doesn’t interfere with any of your exposed copper and is manufacturable.

Embedded thumbnail for Query Language: Basic Concept Part II
Query Language
Query Language: Basic Concept Part II

Do you want to learn how to make more complex queries consisting of several commands? This video is about auxiliary operators that exist in the Altium Designer query language, and how to combine and use them together.

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DFM and Fabrication Cost/Time Constraints
Teardrops for DFM

If you need to increase the width to any primitive, but need to maintain manufacturability, you can use teardrops. We’ll show you how to create a teardrop and specify the shape and size.

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Integrating Requirements June 2025 Webinar
On-Demand Webinar Mag 28, 2025
Integrating Requirements into Your PCB Design Workflow
Join our webinar where you will learn about integrated requirements tools who can help you eliminate late-stage design changes, AI support through system requirements and integration of design requirements directly in PCB Design. Don't miss it, register now!
Streamlining Team Collaboration
On-Demand Webinar Apr 17, 2025
Streamlining Team Collaboration in Industrial PCB Projects
Join us for our upcoming webinar to discover how Altium Designer and Altium 365 can transform your team’s collaboration and take your PCB design projects to the next level. Attend for a chance to win free access to the Altium 365 Training Bundle.
PCB CoDesign Webinar
On-Demand Webinar Gen 24, 2024
Discover How Altium Designer 24 Revolutionizes Team Dynamics in PCB Design
Expand your collaboration skills and stay ahead of the curve with PCB CoDesign. Design teams often grapple with prolonged design cycles and coordination issues, leading to delays and inefficiencies. In the current landscape, design processes are hindered by fragmented collaboration, resulting in increased layout times and difficulties in synchronizing design updates.