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!