News & Updates
Blog
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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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Parasitic Extraction with an Electromagnetic Solver in PCB Routing
Parasitic extraction: the integrated circuit design community must grapple with this task on a daily basis, especially once gate features are reduced below ~350 nm and chips run at high switching speeds. The PCB community also has to deal with this idea in order to better design power delivery networks, interconnects with precise impedance, and properly quantify crosstalk and coupling mechanisms.
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How to Solve Fit, Form, and Function Challenges in Robotics with ECAD-MCAD Collaboration
As robotics systems become increasingly miniaturized and intricate, ensuring perfect fit, form, and function across electrical and mechanical domains is critical to avoid design setbacks. Real-time ECAD-MCAD integration with two-way sync empowers teams to streamline workflows, reduce PCB rework, and deliver more reliable designs faster.
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One Vision, Three Powerful Solutions: Introducing Altium Discover, Altium Develop, and Altium Agile
We are excited to announce the launch of three new platform-based solutions that will transform the way electronic products are designed, built, and delivered: Altium Discover, Altium Develop, and Altium Agile. These solutions are designed to simplify processes, accelerate innovation, and make collaboration seamless across the entire electronics lifecycle. Together, they realize the purpose of Altium and Renesas: To Make Our Lives Easier.
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The Cost of Overreaction: How Misguided Orders Disrupt the Semiconductor Market
Discover how short-sighted ordering practices fuel volatility in the semiconductor market and why smarter, data-driven approaches are key to building resilience and sustainability.
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The Top 5 Workflow Bottlenecks Slowing Down Mechanical Engineering Teams
Mechanical engineering teams frequently encounter delays from fragmented communication, disconnected toolchains, and inefficient synchronization processes. This article examines five critical workflow bottlenecks and highlights how ECAD-MCAD integration with real-time, bidirectional updates can eliminate rework and accelerate design iterations.
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Optimize Your Multiboard PCB System with Intelligent Design and Manufacturing Solutions
Optimizing multiboard PCB systems demands visibility across logical, physical, and manufacturing domains. This article outlines how Altium’s environment lets engineers establish system‑level schematics, 3D spatial validation, harness documentation, and synchronized outputs to streamline design and production.
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Why Mechanical Engineers Struggle With ECAD Collaboration (And How to Fix It)
If you’ve ever been frustrated by clunky PCB-to-mechanical workflows, you’re not alone. Learn why collaboration between mechanical and electrical engineers is harder than it should be and what’s behind the struggle.
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Digital Thread for Electronics: Synchronizing PCB, Multi-Board, and Harness Design
Eliminate costly mismatches and assembly delays. This whitepaper shows you how to apply a unified digital thread across PCB, multi-board, and harness workflows - bridging ECAD/MCAD silos, ensuring connector accuracy, mechanical fit, and real-time collaboration for flawless system design.
Blog
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Building a Model Context Protocol Server for Arduinos
This guide walks you through creating an MCP server that turns AI interactions with Arduino into a predictable, automated process handling tasks like board listing, compilation, and serial communication via a fast, menu‑driven interface. Skip the guesswork of prompt nudging and reduce the risk of unintended device issues.
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Zero Voltage Switching in DC/DC Converters
Our brand-new article explains how zero-voltage switching improves performance in DC/DC converters through reduced losses, lower EMI, and smarter gate-drive control.
Blog
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Getting Started with the GreenPAK Introduction Kit
Take your first steps into mixed-signal design with the Renesas GreenPAK Introduction Kit. Ari Mahpour shows how to design, simulate, and validate a clock divider project, making it easy for beginners to start experimenting with programmable mixed-signal devices.
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Smarter Electronic Part Sourcing for Automotive Purchasing Professionals
Targeted at procurement professionals in the automotive industry, the article outlines the evolving pressures of sourcing components for electrified and connected vehicles. It highlights Octopart’s ecosystem as a unified tool that centralizes availability, compliance, pricing, and lifecycle intelligence to optimize sourcing efficiency.
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Stack-Up to Success: Avoid the Pitfalls
"Stack‑Up to Success" highlights how a carefully planned PCB stack‑up is foundational to preventing warpage, managing impedance, and avoiding manufacturing delays by clearly communicating layer construction, materials, and tolerance requirements to fabricators.
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IC Components Explained: A Comprehensive Guide to Integrated Circuits
Gain a clear understanding of the fundamental elements within integrated circuits. This guide examines their structure, function, and role in system performance, knowledge that’s vital for anyone involved in sourcing or developing electronic designs.
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Ensuring Precise Connector Alignment in Multi‑Board Manufacturing
Misaligned connectors can cause major issues in multi-board assemblies. In this article, David Marrakchi shows how Altium’s 3D tools help detect and fix alignment problems early in the design process.
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Getting Started with the Renesas RA8D1 Evaluation Kit and Edge AI
Dive into the power of Renesas’ RA8D1 MCU using the EK‑RA8D1 evaluation kit. Learn how to train, test, and deploy image‑based detection models seamlessly with Edge Impulse, and kickstart your embedded vision AI projects in minutes.
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How to Effectively Use Jira for Hardware Development Projects
Originally built for software development, Jira has become a popular tool for agile project management across various industries. Our new article explores how hardware teams can leverage core Jira features and adapt agile principles to suit the unique needs of hardware development.
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