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Embedded thumbnail for Transmission lines (coplanar)
RF PCB Design •
Transmission lines (coplanar)

The boards use transmission lines to carry high-frequency signals. In addition to microstrip lines, coplanar transmission lines with a ground reference polygon are often found on boards. Coplanar transmission lines propagate the same wave type as microstrip transmission lines, but the electromagnetic field is more concentrated near the conductor, so coplanar lines have lower losses at high frequencies, less dispersion, and less interference to adjacent circuits.

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Embedded thumbnail for How to Reuse Board Shapes in MCAD
Working with MCAD CoDesigner extension •
How to Reuse Board Shapes in MCAD

You can use the MCAD Co-designer panel to reuse your board shape or geometry in your PCB. We’ll show you how to use the MCAD Co-designer panel in Altium Designer and how to copy your board shape and geometry from your MCAD tool to Altium Designer.

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PCB DFM Check
Blog •
Getting Through a PCB DFM Check

In this article, we’ll discuss the key design features to implement, and steps to take prior to fabrication that will help prevent some common DFM problems. I’ll also provide examples of where I commonly see these PCB DFM problems in signal integrity circuits.

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How to work with Selection •
Selection filter - Panel Properties and PCB

Learn how to configure the types of selected objects using the Selection Filter. In addition, you will learn about the Post Selection Filter and its features.

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Spreading Inductance
Blog •
What is Spreading Inductance?

If you’re working with a high-speed digital component, there are some simple power integrity rules that should be followed. However, there is one quantity that is sometimes ignored when building a PDN impedance simulation: the spreading inductance of your plane pair. Here are some points designers should know about the spreading inductance of a plane pair.

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Embedded thumbnail for PCB Origins During the ECAD MCAD Exchange
Working with MCAD CoDesigner extension •
PCB Origins During the ECAD MCAD Exchange

Origins can vary from your MCAD tool and Altium Designer. With the MCAD Co-Designer panel Altium Designer can keep track of your origin point and make sure your design changes are exchanged correctly.

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Embedded thumbnail for Global Editing Using Find Similar Objects
How to work with Selection •
Global Editing Using Find Similar Objects

Editing multiple objects one by one can be a very time consuming process. Altium Designer makes this easy and efficient with the Find Similar Objects tool, which allows you to globally select and edit multiple objects at once.

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PCB Design Basics for New Designers
Blog •
PCB Design Basics for New Designers

In this article, I’ll present some design basics that every new designer should follow to help ensure their design process is successful. Some of these points may challenge the conventional view of how circuit boards are constructed, but they are intended to help balance low noise signaling, manufacturability, and ease of solving a layout.

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On-Demand Webinar •
Efficient PCB Routing Using Gloss and Retrace Tools

The primary goal of your traces is to carry signals throughout your board without losses. To do this properly, you must familiarize yourself with the requirements for signals on the printed circuit board and how to optimize the topology of the board in terms of signal integrity. We will analyze the most popular routing cases applicable for using the Gloss and Retrace tools in Altium Designer to optimize your signal integrity.

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Selecting Materials for High Voltage PCB Design and Layout
Blog •
Selecting Materials for High Voltage PCB Design and Layout

High voltage PCBs are subject to certain safety and reliability concerns that you won’t find in most other boards. If your fabrication house specializes in high voltage PCBs and keeps materials in stock, they can likely recommend a material set, as well as a standard stackup you might use for certain voltage ranges and frequencies. If you need to choose your own materials, follow the tips below to help you narrow down to the right material set.

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Embedded thumbnail for Shaping the PCB in MCAD
Working with MCAD CoDesigner extension •
Shaping the PCB in MCAD

Through the MCAD Co-designer in Altium Designer, you can collaborate with a mechanical engineer to shape the PCB in your MCAD tool and keep it updated in Altium Designer. We’ll show you how in Altium Designer and in your MCAD tool.

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Embedded thumbnail for Cross Select Mode
How to work with Selection •
Cross Select Mode

Cross Select Mode is a unique tool that allows for cross-selection of objects between the schematic and PCB thanks to the Altium Unified platform. This makes it easy to look for specific components, as well as take advantage of component placement tools.

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Via tenting in PCB Layout
Blog •
When to Use Tented Vias in Your PCB Layout

There are some guidelines I see many designers implement as a standard practice, often without thinking about it. Some of these practices are misunderstood or implemented without best practices. Others are implemented without thinking about the potential problems. One of these is the use of tented vias, which is sometimes implemented in a PCB layout by default. Is this always the right practice?

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Embedded thumbnail for Tools for Efficient Selection
How to work with Selection •
Tools for Efficient Selection

Efficient selection tools can make a difference in how long and how clean your design can be. Learn how to utilize the Edit Select Menu tools in Altium Designer to take control over your layout.

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Capacitive load termination
Blog •
How to Impedance Match and Terminate Capacitive Loads

The idea of a purely capacitive load is something of a fallacy. Yes, capacitors exist, but all capacitors are non-ideal, and it is this deviation from a theoretical capacitance that determines how to impedance match a load that exhibits capacitive behavior. Let’s take a look at this important aspect of interconnect design and see what it really means to terminate a capacitive load.

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Embedded thumbnail for Tools for Easily Selecting Objects in the PCB
How to work with Selection •
Tools for Easily Selecting Objects in the PCB

Explore more than basic mouse movements by taking a look at the tools that Altium Designer has to offer for making selecting and moving objects in the PCB an easy task. This will increase your productivity and allow you to spend more time designing

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Using Altium 365 Over Your Vanilla Version Control System
Blog •
Using Altium 365 Over Your Vanilla Version Control System

There are all sorts of version control systems out there that people have been using with their PCB design software. As discussed in Why Use a Version Control System, we looked at different options ranging for local hard drive storage to sophisticated online revisioning systems. In this article we will be reviewing the differences between a standard VCS and Altium 365.

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Why Use a Version Control System in PCB Design
Blog •
Why Use a Version Control System in PCB Design

Version Control Systems (VCS) have been around for many decades within the software world but can be surprisingly new to some folks in the electronics design industry. This article will cover what a VCS is, what it does, and why you should be using one for your PCB design projects.

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IPC 6012 Class 3 Annular Ring
Blog •
Meeting Standards: IPC 6012 Class 3 Annular Ring

Designers often conflate leftover annular ring and pad sizes - they need to place a sufficiently large pad size on the surface layer to ensure that the annular ring that is leftover during fabrication will be large enough. As long as the annular ring is sufficiently large, the drill hit will not be considered defective and the board will have passed inspection. In this article, I'll discuss the limits on IPC-6012 Class 3 annular rings as these are a standard fabrication requirement for high-reliability rigid PCBs.

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Embedded thumbnail for How to Work with The Polygon Manager
Working with Polygons •
How to Work with The Polygon Manager

It is important to have a high-level view of all polygons on the PCB design. The Polygon Manager lets you rename polygons, set their pour order, perform re-pouring or disable pouring on selected polygons, add/scope the polygon connection style and clearance design rules, and add polygon classes for selected polygons.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Blog •
3D MID Design Whitepaper

Dive into a dynamic design experience where you can visualize and edit your circuits in true 3D, offering unparalleled precision. Altium Designer's 3D-MID (Mechatronic Integrated Device) Design tool revolutionizes the design process, providing a fresh perspective. Explore the capabilities and benefits of this feature in our comprehensive guide.

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Blog •
Types of Wiring Harnesses for Electronics

In today's world, many products utilize multiple PCBs interconnected with each other, often leading to a complex network of cables within an enclosure. The most effective way to manage these wires and cables is by constructing a wiring harness. This article explores the various types of harnesses used in electronics.

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Blog •
Start Altium Designer 24 Training for Free

Level up your design skills with Altium Designer 24 training! Whether you're looking to brush up on the basics or delve into advanced techniques, our instructor-led or on-demand videos will help you master the latest features.

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Blog •
PCB Layout Replication Whitepaper

Experience seamless acceleration in your design workflow with Altium Designer® 24's PCB Layout Replication feature. Effortlessly duplicate layouts for recurring circuit blocks and component groups, amplifying efficiency and reducing expenses.

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Blog •
Custom Pad Stack Whitepaper

Explore our manual on the Custom Pad Stack enhanced feature. From thermal connections to pad shapes, every detail matters. Pads are no longer merely points; they demand unique, tailored solutions. With Altium Designer 24, you can customize pad shapes, fine-tune thermal relief, and master rounded/chamfered rectangle pads to meet manufacturing standards, conquer tight spaces, and elevate your design game significantly.

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Blog •
Pi.MX8 Project - Board Layout Part 2

We are continuing the exploration of board layout in our Pi.MX8 Project. In this chapter, we focus on defining the impedance profiles, establishing matching design rules for the correct trace width, and initiating the routing of the DRAM interface.

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Embedded thumbnail for xSignals for DDR3 and DDR4
How To Work with High-Speed Projects •
xSignals for DDR3 and DDR4

In a high-speed design, DDR3 and DDR4 memory chips can utilize xSignal classes to match track lengths from the controller to the memory chip easily and quickly using the xSignals wizard.

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Embedded thumbnail for High-Speed Tuning
How To Work with High-Speed Projects •
High-Speed Tuning

If you use high-speed interfaces like USB 3.0, PCIE, or DDR3/DDR4, you need to use match length tuning to ensure that they work properly. We’ll show you why and how, as well as demonstrating the different tools for length tuning.

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Embedded thumbnail for Using Document Parameters with Draftsman
How to Work with Draftsman •
Using Document Parameters with Draftsman

The Draftsman Editor in Altium Designer uses document parameters to allow fine grain control over the draftsman document. We’ll show you how you can use the document parameters in your Draftsman document. 

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Embedded thumbnail for High-Speed Features of Creating a Stack
How To Work with High-Speed Projects •
High-Speed Features of Creating a Stack

The foundation of any high speed design is the layer stack. We’ll show you some of Altium Designer’s powerful layer stack creation features.

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Embedded thumbnail for High-Speed Return Paths
How To Work with High-Speed Projects •
High-Speed Return Paths

For high speed designs it is critical to maintain your return path for adequate signal integrity. We’ll show you how, using best practices and error resolutions in Altium Designer.

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Embedded thumbnail for Working with Design Variants
How to Work with Draftsman •
Working with Design Variants

Altium Designer’s Draftsman Document allows for several different board views and variants that you can work with. We’ll show you how to add new variants and work with their properties to display exactly what you need in your Draftsman Document

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Embedded thumbnail for Creating Schematics in High-speed Projects
How To Work with High-Speed Projects •
Creating Schematics in High-speed Projects

There are several powerful features in Altium Designer for creating schematics in high speed projects. We’ll show you a few, such as how to utilize nets, net classes, blankets, design rules, and differential pairs.

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Embedded thumbnail for Creating Connectivity
How to Work with Multichannel Schematic •
Creating Connectivity

Multichannel connectivity can be created in a few different ways. We’ll show you how to create connectivity using ports and net labels efficiently and effectively. 

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Embedded thumbnail for Hierarchical Structure for High-Speed Projects
How To Work with High-Speed Projects •
Hierarchical Structure for High-Speed Projects

A Hierarchical structure can make your high speed project much easier to navigate and complete. We’ll show you some tips and tricks for creating and maintaining a high speed. Hierarchical design project.

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Embedded thumbnail for Schematic Design Reuse Using Snippets
How to work with Snippets •
Schematic Design Reuse Using Snippets

Snippets allow you to easily reuse circuitry across multiple parts of your designs. We’ll show you how create a new snippets the Schematic and how to connect and annotate it so you can easily bring your circuitry directly into your board.

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Embedded thumbnail for PCB Design Reuse Using Snippets
How to work with Snippets •
PCB Design Reuse Using Snippets

Snippets give you easy access to reuse circuitry on your PCB. Let’s take a look at how you can create and configure snippets for the PCB, connect a component link with the schematic and update the PCB to include your snippet.

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Embedded thumbnail for Creating Schematic Channels
How to Work with Multichannel Schematic •
Creating Schematic Channels

Altium Designer makes creating single and multichannel designs effective and quick. We’ll show you how to create and annotate output and input channels in your design. 

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Embedded thumbnail for Using Snapping for Primitives and Components | Draftsman Documents
How to Work with Draftsman •
Using Snapping for Primitives and Components | Draftsman Documents

Snapping using the grids and snapping tools in Altium Designer’s Draftsman Editor gives you a lot of control over how you create and annotate primitives and components. We’ll show you how easy it is to use snapping in the Draftsman Editor. 

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Embedded thumbnail for Pin Package Delay | High-speed Design
How To Work with High-Speed Projects •
Pin Package Delay | High-speed Design

There are a few things to consider when adding and tuning signal delay to your design. Altium Designer gives you the tools to address the fine tuning for signal delay so you can easily make it work, using pin package delay. 

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Embedded thumbnail for Introduction to Snapping Options
How to use Snapping •
Introduction to Snapping Options

Introduction to snapping options: grids, guides, axes of objects, and snapping to objects.

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Embedded thumbnail for Working with Tables | Draftsman Document
How to Work with Draftsman •
Working with Tables | Draftsman Document

The Draftsman Document Editor allows you to add all your data for your design through tables. We’ll show you how to work with tables, and the various options to add and edit, such as Bill of Materials, Drill Tables, Transmission Line Tables, and custom tables. 

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