News & Updates
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Library Importer Improvements (former Library Migrator)
Importing file-based libraries from your local computer or network drive to your Altium 365 workspace can be done using the Library Importer. Altium’s Library Migrator was renamed Library Importer—the feature’s name was changed to conform more closely to the tool’s purpose. Not only is its name new, but our team has also made several user experience improvements. We have updated the documentation to reflect this change.
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How to Select Copper Foil for High-Frequency PCB Design
The PCB materials industry has spent significant amounts of time developing materials that provide lowest possible signal loss for products with RF applications. For high speed and high frequency designs, losses will limit signal propagation distance and distort signals, and it will create an impedance deviation that can be seen in TDR measurements. In this article, we'll look at the balance between copper foil losses and other types of losses in a PCB, as well as some strategies that are commonly used to overcome roughness.
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Altium Designer 22.8 Update
We are happy to announce that the Altium Designer 22.8 update is now available. Altium Designer 22.8 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!
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What is Hybrid Beamforming?
In this article, we’ll look at beamforming implementation in an advanced method combining analog and digital techniques, known as hybrid beamforming. This method blends both digital and analog techniques to create multiple beams and thus reach multiple users with varying intensities. In the case of an RF imaging system or a radar system, hybrid beamforming in a MIMO technique also allows tracking of multiple targets with adjustable resolution.
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Why Most Via Impedance Calculators Are Inaccurate
The problem with every via impedance calculator that I have seen is simple: they are incomplete or totally wrong. The “incomplete” part refers to a lack of context; these calculators can roughly reproduce a well-known estimate from a legend like Howard Johnson in his Digital Design textbooks. However, these calculators never provide insight into what they are actually calculating, or where the calculated via impedance is accurate. Keep reading to see why these calculators get it so wrong, as well as the context surrounding via impedance.
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Buck Converter Simulation in Altium Designer
When designing high power circuits (usually very high voltage and/or current), you’ll need to create a regulator from scratch and place it in your PCB layout. It's also the case that you may want to model a real component using discretes in a simulation in order to qualify the system's expected operating regime. As part of buck converter design, you can easily run a buck converter simulation directly in Altium Designer’s schematic editor. Here’s how you can access these features in the newest version of Altium Designer.
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Overview of the PCIe 6.0 Standard
Just as you get used to PCIe 5.0, they decide to release another standard! The newest iteration of PCIe is Gen6, or PCIe 6.0. PCIe 6.0 brings a doubling of channel bandwidth through introduction of PAM-4 as the signaling method in high-speed differential channels. This signaling method is a first for PCIe, and it’s an important enabler of the doubled data rate we see in the current standard. In this article, I’ll run over the important points in the standard and what PCB designers can expect when designing these channels.
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SPI vs. I2C: How to Choose the Best Protocol for Your Memory Chips
One of the common implementations of SPI and I2C in a PCB layout is as a protocol for reading and writing to an external Flash memory. Flash chips are a very common component in embedded systems and can offer high capacities of non-volatile memory up to Gb values. When choosing a memory chip, you'll want to match the application requirements and functionality with the bus speed you need for read and write operations in your memory chip. There is also the matter of the type of Flash memory you'll need to access (NOR vs. NAND).
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Is There an SPI Trace Impedance Requirement?
There is no SPI trace impedance requirement? The reality is that SPI lines only start to need impedance control when the length of the interconnect becomes very long. And because there is no specific impedance requirement in the bus, you have some freedom in channel design and termination. So what exactly qualifies as “very long” and when is some termination method needed? We’ll break it down in this article.
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The Skin Effect, Current Density, and the Electromagnetic Field
During this year's AltiumLive CONNECT event, I recall receiving an interesting question about the skin effect and the distribution of current due to the presence of ground in coplanar transmission lines. In this article, we'll look at the electric field around a transmission line carrying a signal, and how this might be impacted by the skin effect.
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Make Better Design Decisions with Signal and Power Integrity Insight
Signal integrity and power integrity are closely connected, with problems in one often affecting the other as designs become faster and more complex. This webinar explains how integrated analysis workflows help engineers evaluate PDN performance, identify potential issues early, and improve overall design quality.
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Optimizing Your Electronics Product Design Workflow and Eliminating Bottlenecks
Every manual handoff adds time and risk to the product development process. This article shows how modern design workflows automate routine tasks, improve data visibility, and help engineering teams focus on innovation instead of administration.
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Avoid Cross-Board Signal Integrity Issues in High-Performance Multiboard PCB Designs
Your signal may be perfect on the PCB and fail the moment it crosses a connector. This article explores the hidden SI challenges in multi-board systems and how engineers can eliminate them before they become costly debugging sessions.
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Proto-BOM in Minutes: How BOM Portal Accelerates Component Selection
Still building BOMs the hard way? Discover how modern workflows can help you create a prototype-ready BOM faster while improving visibility into pricing, availability, and risk.
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How to Manage Power Integrity and EMI in Complex Multiboard Systems
This article examines the challenges of maintaining power integrity and controlling EMI in complex multiboard systems. It provides practical strategies for managing return paths, connector transitions, and power distribution across interconnected assemblies.
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Agile Teams: From Design Tool to Product Development Platform
Learn how Agile Teams evolves beyond traditional PCB design workflows to support connected product development. This webinar explores how centralized data, collaboration tools, and governance capabilities help teams accelerate delivery while maintaining control.
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Benefits of Using an Integrated Design Environment for PCB Development
Using separate tools often creates inefficiencies and increases the risk of mistakes. This article explains how integrated design environments streamline workflows by keeping design data connected and accessible.
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Enterprise vs. Midsize PCB Design Software: What Actually Changes at Scale
PCB design challenges change significantly as organizations scale. This article explores the key differences between mid-size and enterprise design environments, from collaboration and governance to data management and workflow automation.
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BOM Portal vs BOM Tool: What Changes When You Upgrade
Not all BOM solutions work the same way. This article explains the key differences between BOM tools and BOM portals, and why real-time data and collaboration are becoming essential for modern electronics development.
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Altium vs KiCAD: Built to Scale From First Board to Full Product
Starting with a simple board today doesn't mean your next project will stay simple. Learn how Altium Designer and KiCAD compare when designs become more complex, teams get larger, and products move toward manufacturing.
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Eliminate the Design-to-Production Gap with Agile Teams + Duro
Learn how Agile Teams and Duro connect design and production workflows through a unified system of record. This webinar shows how structured change management and automated data synchronization help teams reduce errors and accelerate product releases.
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Agile Hardware Development: How to Scale Speed Without Losing Control
Agile hardware development isn’t just about working faster, it’s about working together in real time. This article explores how shared environments for ECAD, MCAD, sourcing, and requirements management eliminate handoff delays and improve decision-making across teams.
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How Reusable Parameters in Requirements Reduce Errors and Speed Up Iterations
Verification becomes much easier when requirements and system performance data stay connected automatically. This article explains how reusable parameters and V&V rules help teams detect violations earlier and validate designs with greater confidence.
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Complex Engineering Projects Leverage Multiple ECAD/MCAD Formats
This article explores how modern engineering teams manage complex projects involving multiple ECAD, MCAD, and manufacturing file formats across distributed workflows. It highlights the importance of design authority, disciplined revision control, and bidirectional collaboration to ensure accurate integration between PCBs and mechanical systems.
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Avoid Costly Interconnect Errors: Essential Multiboard PCB Layout Strategies for Reliable Designs
Complex multiboard designs demand more than just connecting boards together. They require every interface to work flawlessly under real-world conditions. Discover how better pin assignments, return paths, and mechanical planning can dramatically improve reliability and reduce rework.
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BOM Cost Optimization During Schematic Capture
Engineering and sourcing teams work best when BOM decisions happen with live market data in view. This article explains how integrated cost and availability insights help teams collaborate earlier and avoid redesigns driven by supply chain issues.
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