Altium Workshop Basic 2009

8/13/2019 Altium Workshop Basic 2009

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HKN 9.23.09Altium Workshop

Basic Altium Workshop

Friday, September 23th, 2009

Prepared by HKNCU Boulder Chapter


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Why do a PCB?

PCBs are pretty cheap

$33 for 2-layer boards from www.4pcb.com

Compact and Robust

Signal speed and reduced noise.

Why not?

Design is constantly being modified. Wire wraps

Harder to rework.
http://www.4pcb.com/http://www.4pcb.com/


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Board Makeup

1/16thinch FR4 epoxy substrate.

1 oz copper traces and plated Vias.


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Part 1The Basics

Thursday, September 23rd, 2009

HKN


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Project Makeup?

Schematic Design Label and connect parts.

PCB Layout

Arrange physical components. Lay down the tracks.

Gerber Files Convention on how manufacturer will render your

design.

Advanced Techniques: Signal Integrity Analysis.

Spice simulations.


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Open Altium and open a PCB Project

File -> New -> Project -> PCB Project


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Add a Schematic file to the PCB Project

Right click PCB Project in left column -> Add New to Project -> Schematic


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HKN 9.23.09Altium WorkshopAdd Atmel LibraryPlace -> Part -> -> -> Install -> Atmel

-> Atmel Microcontroller 8-bit AVR.IntLib


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HKN 9.23.09Altium WorkshopAdd Atmel Library Cont


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HKN 9.23.09Altium WorkshopAdd Atmel AVR (ATmega128-16AC)


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HKN 9.23.09Altium WorkshopRename Atmel AVR (ATmega128-16AC)Double click on schematic symbol.

Change Designator


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HKN 9.23.09Altium WorkshopSchematic: Add PowerPlace -> Power Port [po]

Place VCC terminal and then double click to bring up properties and rotate

device 90 degrees

Wire Power Terminals together (Place -> Wire) [pw]


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HKN 9.23.09Altium WorkshopSchematic: Add GroundClick Ground symbol in top tool ribbon

Wire Gnd together (Place -> Wire) [pw]


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HKN 9.23.09Altium WorkshopSchematic: Add Decoupling Capacitors

Place -> Part -> [pp]1) Select Miscellaneous Devices.IntLib from pull down menu

2) Select Cap Semi Folder

3) Select 1608[0603] capacitor and click OK

4) From Place Part Menu, change Designator. Click OK

1

2

3

4


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HKN 9.23.09Altium WorkshopSchematic: Decoupling Capacitors Cont

Place 3 Capacitors, C1, C2, C3Wire top terminal of caps to VCC and bottom terminals to GND

using previous power and ground techniques.


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HKN 9.23.09Altium WorkshopSchematic: Power HeaderAdd power header

Place -> Part -> [pp]

Select Miscellaneous Connectors.IntLib then Header 2

Rename designator

Apply VCC to pin 2 and GND to pin 1


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PCB Creation

Right click Project name in left column and add new PCB to

project

Save

Project


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PCB Creation

Click on schematic in left column to go back to schematic view

Click Design -> Update PCB Document [du]


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PCB Creation

Validate and then execute changes

PCB is now created

1 2


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HKN 9.23.09Altium WorkshopPCBArranging Components

Click and hold -> use space bar to rotate components while clicking on them


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HKN 9.23.09Altium WorkshopPCBRouting Parts Together

Place -> Interactive Routing to get routing tool [pt]

Click on pads to route together


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HKN 9.23.09Altium WorkshopCheck Design Rules

Tools > Design Rule Check


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HKN 9.23.09Altium WorkshopPCBNo Errors! Yeah!


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HKN 9.23.09Altium WorkshopPCBGerber File Generation

From PCB Document: File > Fabrication Outputs > Gerber Files


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HKN 9.23.09Altium WorkshopPCBGerber File Generation

Make sure the important Layers are plotted

- Do not add Mechanical Layers to all Plots

- Press OKand CAM File is generated then Save it in Projects Output folder

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HKN 9.23.09Altium WorkshopPCBNC Drill File Generation

Part 1:

Back in PCB Document:

- File > Fabrication Outputs > NC Drill

- Press OK in new window

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HKN 9.23.09Altium WorkshopPCBSubmit to Advanced Circuits

1. Compress the Project Outputs file into a .zip format

- Weve included a zipped copy in your start folder: Project_Outputs_Basic.zip

2. Go to freedfm.com, Upload the ZIP file

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3. Fill in the Form

Replace Select One with Drawing Other

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Make Solder Mask Sides -> Both Sides

Make Silkscreen Sides -> Both Sides

Find Board Size -> Go Back to Project

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Additional Questions?Ask about specific tasks you want to accomplish.

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Part 2 - Useful Tips and Tricks


HKN

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HKN 9.23.09Altium WorkshopPCBGround and Power Pours

Place Polygon Pour (pg)

Define the Net + Layer

Define the Vertices

It will automatically connect the Net

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HKN 9.23.09Altium WorkshopPCBPlacing Traces

Place Tracks [pt]

Change Start Angle (Space)

Change Style (Shift-Space)

Remove Last Placement (Backspace)

Escape Action (Right Click)

Unroute connection [tuc]



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HKN 9.23.09Altium WorkshopPCBPlacing Vias Quickly

Must be placing trace

Control-shift- scroll wheel

Manually scrolls between layers and automatically places via from original layer to

selected layer



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HKN 9.23.09Altium WorkshopPCBSingle Layer Viewing

Open the example PCB

Start -> Altium Designer 6 -> Examples -> Other PCB Projects -> PCB Auto-Routingexample boards



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HKN 9.23.09Altium WorkshopPCBSingle Layer Viewing

Press shift+s to see a single layer of the board

Use ctrl+shift+scroll-wheel to switch between layers



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HKN 9.23.09Altium WorkshopPCBNet Highlighting

Hold ctr land click on a trace to highlight the entire connection path


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HKN 9.23.09Altium WorkshopSchematicNet Naming (wireless connections)

Place Net [pn], then hit Tab to pull up Net Properties

Notice auto-incrementing



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HKN 9.23.09Altium WorkshopSchematicNet Naming (wireless connections)

Add Net names to both parts

Highlight all Net names on the right, ctr l-click and drag to move Nets



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HKN 9.23.09Altium WorkshopPCBYour Board in 3D

View -> Switch to 3D

[3]View Board in 3d

[2]View Board in 2d

[vf]Fit the board to the screen

[vb]Flip board around



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Part 3Parts Libraries, Custom Parts


HKN



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HKN 9.23.09Altium WorkshopCustom Schematic Symbols



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http://www.national.com/ds/LM/LM2734.pdf

Place Pin [pp]

The X goes towards the outside



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HKN 9.23.09Altium WorkshopNow draw the box [pr]

Cut, paste the pins (hack so that

they are on top)



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HKN 9.23.09Altium WorkshopNow add the footprint you need to

use with it.



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Select Browse



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Hit the ellipsis (or search)



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HKN 9.23.09Altium WorkshopGo to ProjectAdds to the

project instead of the machine

Click Add Library



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HKN 9.23.09Altium WorkshopAltium has extensive libraries

There are always parts you need to make though



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HKN 9.23.09Altium WorkshopOpen the PCB folder.

This folder has standardized footprints for most everything.

Very useful.

Select *.PCBLIBgives you the footprints



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HKN 9.23.09Altium WorkshopWow, that was a lot of parts.

Select the SOT23_5-6Lead_M.PcbLib part library, choose the part with correct-ish dimensions.

Note that often the exactdimensions are not available.

L,M,N stand for the densityprototype, medium density, high-density production (not in that

order)



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HKN 9.23.09Altium WorkshopNow the easy way.

No longer pretending that this part didnt already exist in Altium.

Back in the schematic, place part [pp], hit the ellipsis, hit another ellipsis, hit Add Library.

Go to National Semiconductor under Program Files/Altium/Library

And select NSC Switcher.

Now select the LM2734X or Y.

Thankyou Altium for doing all of this work for us.



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HKN 9.23.09Altium WorkshopOkay, so what if the footprint does not exist?

Altium makes this easy too.



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HKN 9.23.09Altium WorkshopMan this is easy.

Just copy down the specs from the data sheet

Into the wizard.



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HKN 9.23.09Altium WorkshopIs your part not that simple?

Okay, Altium has you covered again.

Anything you would ever want to create, simple



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HKN 9.23.09Altium WorkshopOh wait, you say you cant make your part with these tools.

Liar!

Anyways, you can still do it by hand.



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HKN 9.23.09Altium WorkshopOkay, I made a bunch of parts, how do I find them?

Double Click



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Additional Questions?Ask about specific tasks you want to accomplish.

Additional Altium Awesomeness:

Documents

Altium Workshop Basic 2009