Design Secrets - Get Help Fast

A key part of efficiently producing quality designs is getting the right level of help, just when you need it.


Whether you're new to Altium Designer or you want to find more information about a part of the tool you’re less familiar with, the Knowledge Center is your friend and ally.


Highly interactive and context sensitive, the system can provide automated help text as you do your work or point to detailed, searchable documentation when you want to know more.


Check out the video to see how it works. Knowledge is power, and the Altium Designer Knowledge Center delivers it fast.

Integrating MCAD Objects and PCB Designs

Now we are going to learn how to integrate Mechanical CAD objects to the PCB designs in Altium Designer.


Altium Designer offers high levels of interaction with MCAD data. This means you can import, manipulate  nd check mechanical design elements against your PCB design  directly. MCAD data files can be linked to, which maintains the latest file information  within Altium Designer. 

Contents

• ECAD - MCAD Interaction Introduction
• STEP Format Integration
• What Interaction is Possible?
• Linked STEP Model Files
• MCAD Interaction
• Setting Up Watched Folders
• Placing and Linking STEP Files to the PCB Document
• Orienting and Positioning STEP Models
• Measuring Models and Placing Reference Snap Points
• Positioning Models Using a Single Reference Point
• Setting Model Height
• Orienting Models
• Orienting Models by Aligning a Face with the Board
• Orienting Models Using Three Reference Points
• Orienting Models Manually Using 3D Body Dialog
• Using STEP Models to Modify the Board
• Creating a Board Shape Directly From a 3D Body
• Component Clearance Checking Using 3D Bodies
• Using Design Rules to Check Component Clearances
• Setting Up the Free-floating 3D Bodies Clearance Rule
• Setting Up the 3D Body Infinite Clearance Rule
• Setting Rule Priorities
• Running Design Rule Checks and Solving Violations Between 3D Bodies and Components
• Resolving Violations Between 3D Bodies.
• Exporting PCB MCAD Data from Altium Designer
• Exporting a PCB Document as a STEP File
• Exporting a PCB Document as a DWG/DXF File
• 3D Body Placement Shortcuts

Getting Started with PCB Design

This introductory tutorial is designed to give you an overview of how to create a schematic, update the design information to a PCB and generate manufacturing output files. It also investigates the concept of projects and integrated libraries and provides a summary of the 3D PCB environment and creating 3D bodies for component footprints.




Below is the link to the tutorial:
http://wiki.altium.com/display/ADOH/Tutorial+-+Getting+Started+with+PCB+Design
                 

Contents

• Creating a New PCB Project
• Creating a New Schematic Sheet
• Setting the Schematic Document Options
• Drawing the Schematic
• Locating the Component and Loading the Libraries
• Placing the Components on Your Schematic
• Wiring up the Circuit
• Nets and Net Labels
• Setting Up Project Options
• Checking the Electrical Properties of Your Schematic
• Setting up the Error Reporting
• Setting Up the Connection Matrix
• Setting Up the Comparator
• Compiling the Project to Check for Errors
• Creating a New PCB
• Transferring the Design
• Ready to Start the PCB Design Process
• Setting Up the PCB Workspace
• PCB Workspace Grids
• Component Positioning and Placement options
• Defining the Layer Stack and Other Non-electrical Layers
• Physical Layers and the Layer Stack Manager
• Configuring the Display of Layers
• Setting Up the Design Rules
• Positioning the Components on the PCB
• Changing a Footprint
• Interactively Routing the Board
• Tips for Routing
• Automatically Routing the Board
• Verifying Your Board Design
• Viewing Your Board in 3 Dimensions
• Output Documentation
• Generating Gerber Files
• Creating a Bill of Materials
• Further Explorations
• See Also

We will be creating an actual board design from schematic to CAM files on the succeeding blogs. Watch out for the series of tutorials on July 2012! Have fun!

Altium Designer: Introduction to the Query Language (Part 2 of 2)

Introduction to the Query Language (Part 2)

Building your Query Writing Skills

How can you learn to write queries? Like anything new, it takes practice.

Altium Designer includes valuable resources for learning the query language. The first is a set of example queries that are included as part of the installation. The second is a group of tools that generate queries based on your input. The third is the Query Helper, which lists all query keywords and helps you build up a query. The final source in learning the query language is in the online help.

Example and Favorite Queries

Both the schematic and PCB editors come with a set of pre-packaged example queries.

To try these, press the Y shortcut key to display the Filter popup menu, where you can select the Examples sub-menu.

When you select an entry in the menu the query behind that filter is applied                          

(press Shift+C to clear it).

To view the actual query behind one of the examples look in the History list after applying it, you can access this list in the Filter popup menu too.

You can also keep favorite queries and re-use them later. Favorites are stored in the Expression Manager dialog.

There are a number of ways to access this dialog:

·         via the Favorites button in the Filter panel

Figure 9.

·         by selecting the Organize Favorites menu entry after pressing the Y shortcut key.

Figure 10.

The great thing about favorites is that they are automatically displayed in the Filter menu,

giving you instant access to up to ten favorite queries.

Query Building Tools

Perhaps the easiest way to write a query is to get Altium Designer to write it for you!

There are two ways of doing this, using the Find Similar Objects dialog, or the Query Builder.

• Find Similar Objects dialog

When you use the Find Similar Objects dialog it generates a query to find the required objects. If the Create Expression option is enabled then that query will be displayed in the Filter panel.

This is an excellent technique for learning different query keywords.
The Find Similar Objects dialog appears when you right-click on any unmasked object in your design document and select Find Similar Objects from the context menu. The idea with this dialog is that it lets you find objects similar to the one you’re right-clicked on, where you define which of the object's attributes that must be the same (or different) for a match.

Suppose for example you wanted to change all vias with 15-mil drill size in your design. You could right-clicking on one such via, choose Find Similar Objects, then change the Hole size from Any (the default setting) to Same. All of the 150mil vias will be selected when you Apply from this dialog, and if the Select Matching option is enabled you can use the Inspector to make the change across the entire selection.

Figure 11.

If the Create Expression option is enabled in the Find Similar Objects dialog then the following query would appear in the Filter panel:

(ObjectKind = 'Via') And (HoleDiameter = AsMils(15))

Figure 12.

The Query Builder

The PCB editor also includes a dedicated Query Builder. This tool lets you build complex queries by choosing test conditions from drop-down lists. An advantage of the Query Builder is that it lets you create a query that targets different kinds of objects, for example the Figure below shows the Builder being used to create a query that targets both pads and vias on the CALCUB_VP5 net.

Figure 13.

The Query Builder can be launched from a number of places.

·         Click the Builder button in the Filter panel to build a query and the string loaded into the panel.

·         Click the Builder button when you are editing a design rule to build a query that defines which objects this rule must apply to.

You can also call up the Builder directly in the design workspace,

·         either by pressing the Shift+B shortcut keys,

·         or right-clicking in the workspace and choosing Build Query from the context menu.

When you run the Builder in the workspace it will look different from when it is run from the Filter panel or Rules dialog, in the workspace it applies the query immediately so it includes display-type controls, whereas from the Filter panel or Rules dialog it creates the query string instead.

Note also that the right-click option is context sensitive, the options available will change depending on what object you right-clicked on. Running the Builder from the Design Rules dialog is also context sensitive, it will only give you options that are suitable for that rule kind.

Query Helper

The next step in building your query-writing skills is to use the Query Helper. Accessed via the Helper button in the Filter panel, the Query Helper includes a query editing box at the top, syntax buttons like And and Or in the mid-region of the dialog, as well as a complete list of all query keywords below that.

Browse through the different categories of available keywords for the one you want. Use the Mask field if you are not sure what the exact keyword is. For example, in the schematic editor's Query Helper, entering * par in the Mask field will show you the dozen or so keywords that apply to parameters specifically, while* par will pick up keywords for both parameters and parts. Note that the Mask field works on both the keyword name field and the description field, so it can be the quickest way to find possible keywords.

If you press F1 when a keyword is highlighted or the cursor is within a keyword you have typed in, an online help description for that keyword will open. This is the most valuable resource for learning the basic behavior of each query keyword. Here you will learn the nuances of that keyword, such as keywords that return children objects, parent objects or both.

Figure 14.

Altium Designer: Introduction to the Query Language (Part 1 of 2)

Introduction to the Query Language (Part 1)

Underlying Altium Designer's schematic and PCB editors is a powerful query engine. By entering queries into this engine you can filter down to find and edit precisely those objects you require.

Perhaps the greatest challenge when working on a complex electronics design is managing the large number of design objects. From the components, net labels and text strings on the schematic sheets, through to the hundreds of components and tens of thousands of track objects that make up the routing on the PCB, as the designer you need to be able to access, review and edit these objects.

Like most Windows application you can of course double-click on an object and edit its properties. This is fine for a single object, but not something you would like to do if you need to edit the stroke width for the 300+ component designator strings, or change the annular ring for all the vias on the PCB. For this you need to access multiple objects simultaneously - to inspect them, to edit them, or apply a PCB design rule to them. Ideally you should be able to access different types of objects simultaneously too - the query-based filtering system lets you do precisely this.

Figure 1. You write a query to filter your design data, which can then be viewed and modified.

What is a Query? 

Queries are used to determine whether each object within a document is highlighted or otherwise. The highlighted objects are normally displayed which is distinctive in comparison with the remaining (non-highlighted) objects, which are either displayed in a less prominent manner, or are not even displayed at all.

Queries can be used to control how a document's objects are displayed. They can also be used to determine whether any objects within a document have particular properties (or particular sets of properties), and to assist in locating such objects. Another important reason for using queries is to qualify which objects have their properties modified during succeeding commands, including during global editing commands.

The powerful data filtering and editing system in Altium Designer lets you instruct the software to return you a specified set of objects. This instruction is entered in the form of a Query. A query is a string you enter using specific keywords and syntax, which will return the targeted objects. What you do with those objects is up to you. Perhaps you want to highlight them, dimming out all other objects. Or perhaps you want to browse or sort their properties, and modify specific attributes that they all share. There are a number of places where you can apply a query but command central is the Filter panel, as shown in Figure 2. 

Press F12 to display/hide the Filter panel.

Figure 2. The PCB filter panel, the query shown will return all relays (all components that has a Ref Des that begins with K) on the bottom layer.

So you have written a query in the Filter panel, now how do you access the objects returned by your query?

There are three ways that objects can be accessed and edited in the Altium Designer environment.

Graphically - after applying a filter the default behavior is to mask (fade and make non-editable) all objects that failed the query, leaving only those that passed. This mode is excellent for locating and reviewing objects in the workspace. Since the masked objects are not editable, commands like Ctrl+A (select all) only apply to the objects returned by the query.

For example, applying the query expression in Figure 2.

(InComponent('K*') AND OnBottomLayer)

will result on the Figure below:

Figure 3.

Selecting all objects (CTRL+A), will result to ONLY relays being selected since the rest of the items on the PCB that did not match the query expression will be masked out.

Figure 4.

List panel - the List panel (Shift+F12) is a spreadsheet-like view into your design data. By default it displays all design objects, once a filter has been applied it displays only the objects returned by the query. The List has standard spreadsheet-like behaviors for sorting and selecting, allowing you to edit single or multiple cells directly.

Figure 5.

Note that the top of the List panel has a number of controls, 
press F1 when the cursor is over the panel for help with these controls and other general panel behavior.

Figure 6.

Inspector panel - where the List presents the objects' properties in a table, the Inspector collates the common attributes of the selected objects into a single column. Note the total number of selected objects is displayed at the bottom of the panel. After editing the value in a cell press Enter to apply the change.

Figure 7.

Press F1 when the cursor is over the Inspector panel for more information.

Figure 8.

Altium Designer Features

Altium Designer features

_____________________________________________________________________

Here is the link to Altium discussing the features of the Altium Designer software.

http://www.altium.com/switch-now/features.cfm

_____________________________________________________________________

Altium’s unified solution equips you with the tools you need to take full advantage of the latest design techniques and technologies. It provides this in a way that’s intuitive to use and does not require acquiring expensive additional expertise.

For example, if you’re a board-level designer or embedded software developer, you can use your existing skills to create sophisticated systems based on FPGA-based embedded hardware. It’s never been easier to create innovative,
next-generation products.

Do your current design tools still have that same 'kick'?

Key features

PCB design

Altium unifies the process of board-level design by providing a single application environment for capturing design data, verifying the performance of the circuit, and designing the PCB. The single system and single model of the design data redefines the way you can work by enabling real-time design synchronization, single-point data management and smooth design collaboration with all domains.

FPGA design

Today these devices have sufficient capacity to implement more than just some of the hardware in a product – they can be programmed to implement an entire digital system, including the processor, peripheral components and the interface logic. To do this the engineer needs a design environment that solves the system integration issues – where they can capture the hardware design, write the embedded software for the processor, and implement, test and debug both the hardware and software on the target FPGA.

3D PCB layout environment

Today's designs demand tools that make it easier to view your designs - some things are just easier to see and jump out at you when you see the real thing! Taking advantage of DirectX capabilities, PCB Visualization brings powerful new capabilities that allow you to customize and configure your design view for both 2D and 3D displays so that you can inspect and edit objects such as pads, via barrels, tented vias both on the surface and internally from a 3D perspective.

3D Mechanical enclosure checking

Altium Designer offers high levels of interaction with MCAD data. This means you can import, manipulate and check mechanical design elements against your PCB design directly. MCAD data files can be linked to, which maintains the latest file information within Altium Designer.

Version control

The basic approach to working with a version control system is to "update", or "check-out", the project files that you want to work on, from the repository, into a working folder. These can then be modified and saved, and when you decide it is appropriate, the updated files can be "committed", or "checked in" to the VCS's repository. Check-out and check-in is performed through a version control system interface, which Altium Designer has built into its Storage Manager panel and Projects panel.

Push button manufacturing release package The design release process needs to be tightly managed in order to control the design source data at release time, and after the release. Altium Designer helps to control source data at release time and beyond by providing a clear vision of projects history, as well as their dependencies through releases. It provides the ability to identify the point in time at which the design was released, go back to this point and retrieve, modify and re-release the design with the correct dependencies. Hierarchical project management The starting point for every design created in Altium Designer is a project. An Altium Designer project is a set of design documents whose output defines a single implementation. For example, the schematics and PCB in a PCB project include the fileset required to manufacture a single printed circuit board, while the schematics and HDL in an FPGA project output the fileset required to program a single FPGA. ECO with change history Developing an electronic product in an environment like Altium Designer results in a large number of electronic files. These files are valuable, they are your company's IP (Intellectual Property), and must be stored and maintained in an appropriate way. Altium Designer includes a number of features to ensure that your files remain safe, are backed up, and older versions can be retrieved if necessary. 95,000 Library Components Altium Designer delivers over 95,000 components out of the box.  Not only are all parts IPC compliant, but it includes a table driven IPC footprint builder.   Need pricing information?  Altium Designer has Live Links with Digi-Key, Farnell and Newark to automatically populate your library with component information.  Need 3D models, Altium Designer fully supports the STEP standard for 3D PCB layout and MCAD integration. Instant FPGA Prototyping Altium Designer is a complete FPGA design platform that supports Actel, Altera, Lattice and Xilinx.  The award winning NanoBoard 3000 provides an instant prototyping platform that includes a Spartan 3AN or Altera Cyclone III FPGA, Ethernet, USB, PS/2, color TFT LCD panel, SVGA interface and much more.  Also included is a royalty-free IP core library and software compilers for code development.

Click here to read the latest features in Altium Designer:

New Features in Altium Designer 10