If you are an electronics engineer, then you know that you need great PCB design software to create your circuits. Altium Designer is the best PCB designing software on the market, and it has everything you need to create high-quality PCBs. In this blog post, we will discuss Why Altium is the best PCB designing software for your next project. We will also provide a few tips for getting started with this powerful software. So if you are ready to take your electronics engineering skills to the next level, keep reading!
What is Altium Designer?
Altium Designer is a PCB and electronic design automation software package developed by the Australian firm Altium Ltd. It is a comprehensive tool that allows you to design, simulate, and manufacture electronic products.
Engineers can save time by having access to all design tools in one spot, allowing them to finish their whole design process in the same simple environment and deliver high-quality products faster. That is how Altium becomes the best PCB designing software for everyone.
The new PCB tools in Altium Designer offer 3D CAD modeling with rapid and adaptable design, as well as MCAD integration. You may check clearances of the PCB when dealing with interacting environments using this technology.
With all of the new capabilities, such as rapid PCB layout documentation, precise simulation, and other sophisticated functions, it’s easier to use.
Altium – Features of the Best PCB Designer Software
Altium Designer is the best PCB design software on the market for a number of reasons. Let us see how Altium Outsmarts other PCB Design Tools in the market.
Cloud-Based Platform
The cloud-based design and development tool, Altium Designer, allows users to work from any location. People can access it from anywhere via the internet because of this. Project team members may now design and edit their projects remotely through the internet.
ECAD/MCAD Collaboration
Altium provides ECAD/MCAD collaboration. This enables sync with other CAD systems such as SOLIDWORKS, PTC Creo Parametric, Autodesk Inventor, or Autodesk Fusion 360. it is one of the reasons why Altium become the best PCB designing software now available.
Collaborate with Anyone
Time is a valuable commodity for engineers. With online collaboration, you can save time by having design reviews with stakeholders’ feedback from any browser, on any device.
Context-driven Comments
Users can add comments to a document by highlighting problematic sections directly in the design, allowing them to tag individuals to address issues without having to leave the design environment.
Strong Supply Chain Management
Easily generate a Bill Of Materials for your project. It eliminates any confusion with the manufacturer. All of your manufacturing documents are centralized in one location, allowing you to access them quickly and efficiently. This will help you to produce a successful product. The user will enjoy a seamless tracking experience thanks to this functionality.
Native 3D PCB Design
Allow users to simulate a three-dimensional PCB design. The new technology helps you to verify that your PCB will fit into its final product enclosure. This is a huge time-saver and prevents costly redesigns. 3d PCB views will help you to verify your designs and make changes before sending the boards for manufacture.
Realistic Rigid-Flex
This function guarantees that three-dimensional components, case construction, and PCB clearances satisfy your mechanical needs in real-time.
Multi-board Assembly
Understand how various components of your product’s architecture function together in Native 3D and check for compatibility and connectivity quickly. It is simple to identify and repair any board issues before moving on to a prototype.
Schematic Capture
With a broad variety of wiring tools, design verification, transparent netlist generation, and variation management, you may easily record your required design.
Hierarchical & Multi-channel Design
Create sophisticated designs with simple navigation across all hierarchy levels, nets, and components.
Unified Library Management
In addition, the feature library includes a number of libraries that are a collection of useful components and models. In one location, this smart platform combines schematic symbols and PCB footprints, lifespan status, and supply chain planning. Users can access all of this information, as well as collaboration tools for better project management and product development.
Mixed Simulation
Customers can test designs before making a final investment with easy and precise simulation in an advanced SPICE engine.
Board Layout
This will assist you in establishing an optimal layout. With its powerful layer stack management, native 3D support, and sophisticated controls like etch factor and surface roughness models, Altium Designer offers you all of the control you could want in a single design environment.
Interactive Routing
With a high-performance engine that guides you to the greatest feasible techniques for routing your designs.
High Speed & High-Density Design
With a strong tuning engine, you may build high-speed electronics with ease. This feature supports advanced pattern features, an EM solver for precise propagation delay, impedance extraction, and Easy HDI structure integration.
Fabrication Drawings
With Draftsman, you may create clear fabrication views of your board and components simply by tapping a few buttons.
Altium License
There is a methodical structure to Altium licensing that allows the program to function at its best and most efficiently. This system entails assigning licenses to users based on their needs. Click here for pricing details.
Altium Designer
| License Type | What you Get |
|---|---|
| Time-Based | • Schematic Capture • Hierarchical & Multi-channel Design • Unified Library Management • Mixed Simulation • Board Layout • Multi-Board • Rigid-Flex • Interactive Routing • High Speed & High-Density Design • MCAD Collaboration • Data Management • Manufacturing Outputs • Fabrication Drawings • 1 Year of Subscription |
| Perpetual License | • Schematic Capture • Hierarchical & Multi-channel Design • Unified Library Management • Mixed Simulation • Board Layout • Multi-Board • Rigid-Flex • Interactive Routing • High Speed & High-Density Design • MCAD Collaboration • Data Management • Manufacturing Outputs • Fabrication Drawings • 1 Year of Subscription |
Altium SE
| License Type | What you Get |
|---|---|
| Time-Based | • Schematic Capture • Hierarchical & Multi-channel Design • Unified Library Management • Data and Supply Chain Management • Mixed Simulation • Schematic Driven Design Rules • Variant Management • Intuitive Diffs • Smart PDF • 1 Year of Subscription |
| Perpetual License | • Schematic Capture • Hierarchical & Multi-channel Design • Unified Library Management • Data and Supply Chain Management • Mixed Simulation • Schematic Driven Design Rules • Variant Management • Intuitive Diffs • Smart PDF • 1 Year of Subscription |
Why Altium is the Best PCB Designer?
- Providing advanced supply chain management
- The cloud-based platform provides easy access to users
- Online centralized communication centers for team discussions
- Sync with MCAD
- Users may inspect and correct errors with Native 3D visualization
- In one place, you may use all of your design resources
- User friendly
- Can create a variety of PCBs
- Giving attention to micro details
- Helps to combine multiple projects, you can develop a single, consistent model
- Robust design
- Integrated with other design platforms
- It is Compatible
Advantages of Altium Designer
- High Quality PCB Design
- Fast Result
- User-Friendly Platform
- Easy Error Checking Mechanism
- Easy Access to Users
- Can store data of every element in the central point. So no need to add a storage system for each element.
- Compact Design
- Highly Efficient
- Can easily convert the files from other platforms.
Limitations
- The objective of this platform is to serve PCB producers and other businesses or professionals that produce large quantities of boards. As a result, the cost appears to be high for common users.
- Supports Windows only.
Getting Started with Altium
Want to make amazing PCBs for your projects? Why not try free Altium Trail. Click on this link here to try out Altium Designer for your Project. If you want to learn how you can create PCBs using Altium, check out the below video. This will give you a basic understanding of different tools in Altium and help you get started with your first PCB.
![Altium PCB Designer Tutorial for Beginners | How to design PCB Layout [Step by Step Instructions]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/UmBjZKJJGOc/hqdefault.jpg)
Conclusion
With a range of technologies, Altium helps organizations and design communities to innovate, collaborate and create new products. They do this by remaining on time or budget without sacrificing either one in order for the company’s goals to be met faster than ever before!
