News & Updates
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How to Create a PCB Manufacturing Cost Estimation
Some manufacturers have very convenient PCB manufacturing cost estimation calculators you can use, but the real costs depend on a number of factors. If you’re an entrepreneur and you’re producing your own boards, or you are managing manufacturing, testing, and delivery for a new project, it’s your job to help clients understand the primary cost drivers for new boards. Here’s how you can get an estimate of your fabrication costs, both for local and overseas manufacturers.
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PCB Mountable Connectors: SMD vs. Through-hole
Selecting a connector is as much an art as it is a science. The artistic side is all about aesthetics and satisfying clearances, while the scientific side is all about signal integrity. For PCB mountable connectors, you’ll need to choose between surface-mounted or through-hole connectors, and you’ll need to consider how each type affects signal integrity in your application. Here’s what you need to think about beyond the standard connector specifications.
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PCB Via Current-Carrying Capacity: How Hot is Too Hot?
Trace and via current-carrying capacity are legitimate design points to focus on when designing a new board that will carry high current. The goal is to keep conductor temperatures below some appropriate limit, which then helps keep components on the board cool.
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How to Maximize Copper in Your PCB Design: The Pros and Cons of Copper Pouring Versus Placing
There is a saying in copper pour PCB design, “Copper is free.” It means a PCB editor designer must think in reverse. A board starts off as solid copper, and the copper you don’t want is removed. It is faster to build, less consumptive, and less expensive to make a board that is mostly copper as compared to the same size board that is mostly bare. Picking the correct technique will make the difference between an effortless or frustrating experience.
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Top 5 PCB Design Guidelines Every PCB Designer Needs to Know
What’s the key to designing a board that’s realistic on paper and in physical form? Let’s explore the top 5 design guidelines that you need to know to design your next manufacturable, functional and reliable PCB.
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Mag 14, 2020
How to Highlight Nets in Altium Designer to Simplify Schematic and PCB Designs
Highlighting nets will help you simplify your schematic and PCB design. In Altium , there are multiple options that enable you to leverage this capability to simplify the verification of connections and circuit paths and make sure that the design you send to your manufacturer accurately reflects the printed circuit board you need built.
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Mag 12, 2020
Keep Your Altium Designer PCB Layout in Line with Grids and Grid-Selection Shortcuts
The grid system in a printed circuit board design CAD system really is your friend, and if you haven’t taken the time to get properly introduced yet let me help you with that.
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Mag 7, 2020
How to Panelize Your PCBs Before Lunch with Altium Designer
Whether you have a slew of PCBs to mass produce for your customers or a handful of project boards you wish to prototype all in one simple swoop, panelization is an effective way to bring high amounts of efficiency to your production.
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Mag 5, 2020
Helpful Tips for Interactive Routing in Altium Designer
Before you jump into the software, you should know the types of things you’re going to want to look out for. Traces, connection lines, differential pair routing, and route paths can all affect the routing process of your board. Make sure that you’re equipped knowing, ultimately, what you want your board design to accomplish and furthermore, where you anticipate potential problem areas to be.
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Mag 1, 2020
Altium 365 + Altium Designer 20.1 Released Today - Work from Anywhere, Connect with Anyone
In our efforts to bring the best experience to the PCB design process, we are proud to announce the release of Altium Designer 20.1, Altium 365, and Altium NEXUS Client 3.1. This release enhances the design experience by bringing the convenience and benefits of the Altium 365 cloud platform to Altium Designer.
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Apr 27, 2020
Introduction to High Speed PCB Designing: How to Eliminate Crosstalk
Crosstalk on your PCB layout can be disastrous. If not corrected, crosstalk can cause your finished circuit board to either not work at all, or it may be plagued by intermittent problems. Let’s take a look at what crosstalk is and what you can do to prevent it.
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Apr 22, 2020
Any Angle Routing: When Should You Use It?
EDA tools have come a long way since the advent of personal computing. Now advanced routing features like auto-routers, interactive routing, length tuning, and pin-swapping are helping designers stay productive, especially as device and trace densities increase. Read full article in our blog:
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Altium Designer vs. Flux For Professional PCB Projects
Choosing the right PCB tool can define your entire design workflow. Discover how Altium Designer empowers professional product development, while Flux.ai keeps things simple for fast experimentation.
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Rigid-Flex Stackups: Where Good Designs Go Wrong Before Layout Even Starts
Rigid-flex stackups are more complex than they seem and getting them wrong early can lead to costly failures later. This article shows how smart decisions around materials, transitions, and layer structure help ensure a reliable design.
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From Complexity to Clarity: Smart Design Reviews for Agile Engineering Teams
Understand how structured design reviews within Altium Agile Teams enhance visibility, traceability, and cross-team collaboration. This webinar highlights methods to detect issues early and optimize your development workflow.
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Building a Local-LLM Datasheet Extractor for IC Driver Development
Parsing long datasheets manually slows down embedded development and introduces errors. This article shows how to use a local LLM pipeline to convert datasheets into structured data that speeds up driver creation.
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Types of Simulation Tools For PCBs
PCB simulation isn’t one-size-fits-all and that’s where it gets interesting! Discover the wide range of tools available, from quick circuit checks to advanced multiphysics simulations, and how they help you design with confidence.
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Wiring the Future: The Shift to Unified Electromechanical Design
This article explores the shift from PCB-centric design to complex, system-level development where wiring and harnesses play a critical role in product performance. It highlights how unified electromechanical workflows and bi-directional ECAD–MCAD integration improve accuracy, reduce delays, and ensure reliable, production-ready designs.
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Best Tools For PCB DFM Checks
Want to catch manufacturability issues before they turn into expensive delays? Discover the essential DFM tools from real-time checks to post-layout analysis that help you get your PCB right the first time.
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Eliminate Your Design Friction with Agile Teams
Design friction from scattered data and disconnected tools slows down PCB development and leads to rework. This webinar shows how Agile Teams streamlines collaboration, aligns domains, and helps teams deliver faster with fewer errors.
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What Is an Integrated Design Environment for Electronics?
Using multiple disconnected tools slows down PCB development and increases the risk of errors. This article shows how an integrated environment keeps all design data connected, enabling faster workflows and fewer late-stage issues.
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What is the Best Cloud PCB Design Software?
Not all cloud PCB tools are created equal, especially when design complexity increases. This article breaks down key differences between cloud-native and hybrid solutions, helping engineers choose the right approach for performance and scalability.
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From Rework to Revenue: Digital PCB DFMA
This article explores how traditional, manual DFMA workflows lead to costly rework, delays, and poor collaboration across engineering teams. It shows how a connected, digital approach enables better data integrity, faster design cycles, and improved manufacturing outcomes.
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Introducing Octopart Discover: From Part Search to Solutions Discovery
Octopart has announced Octopart Discover, a new platform that shifts electronic component search toward system-level solution discovery. The tool connects design intent with relevant options, enabling engineers to evaluate tradeoffs and identify the best-fit solutions more efficiently.
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How to Choose the Right Components for Your BOM
A strong BOM can make the difference between smooth production and costly delays. Discover a practical approach to choosing components that stay available, meet compliance requirements, and keep your project on schedule.
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From Scattered Requirements to Confident Product Development
See how the Requirements Portal transforms disconnected requirements into a single, live source of truth that engineers can trust at every stage of a project! Real customer stories in the article prove it’s already helping teams cut down on rework and bring products to market faster.
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What is the Best PCB Design Tool For Students?
Students need PCB software that’s intuitive, affordable, and useful for building real skills. This article compares the strengths and weaknesses of leading design tools, from hobbyist platforms to industry-standard software.
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What Is Collaborative Engineering?
Collaborative engineering is all about breaking down silos so electrical, mechanical, and sourcing teams can work as one with shared data and real-time updates. This article shows how that approach helps you spot issues early, reduce rework, and get products out the door with fewer surprises.
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