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AltiumLive 2017:ANNUAL PCBDESIGN SUMMIT
Advanced Altium Productivity Tips
Carl Schattke, CID+Sr. PCB Designer
San Diego, CA4-Oct-2017
What Do You Do?
Energy
Power
We Find the
Natural Patterns
Natural Form
and Function
As designers we create
PCB solutions for the entire team
Electrical
Engineer
Mechanical
Engineer
Signal Integrity
Engineer
Design
ManagerSupply Chain
Management
Thermal
Engineer
Assembly
Engineer
Interconnect
Engineer
Program Lifecycle
Management
Design for
Manufacture
Engineer
Test
Engineer
Project
Manager
Material
Engineer
Reliability
Engineer
Compliance
Engineer
Validation
Engineer
Firmware
Engineer Component
Engineer
User Interface
Designer
We as designers develop
a TEAM that helps us
Electrical
Engineer
Software Support
Engineer
Signal Integrity
Engineer
Component
Vendors
Supply Chain
Management
Thermal
Engineer
PCB manufacturing
Engineer
Search
Engines
PCB Librarian
Test
Engineer
Project
Manager
Material
Engineer
Co-workers
Compliance
Engineer
Validation
Engineer
Component
Engineer
3rd Party Software
tools
PCB stack up
Engineering
Outsource
Partners
Cross functional
teams
Competition
Cooperation
PCB Designs are used
in Outer Space
PCB Designs Help us
Fly in the Sky
PCB Designs Help us probe
The depth of the oceans
At the end of the day we design
things that help people.
We Design Progress
We push ahead
We take it to the next level
We continue to develop new products
We don’t give up
We are relentless
We triumph
How Do We it?
We use all our resources talents and abilities
We learn and we share best practices
1
Placement
Routing
Starting
Schematics2
3
4
5
Five phases of PCB Design
Outputs
Advanced Altium Productivity Tips
Altium – The best PCB design software on the planet
Advanced - Having or using new and modern methods
Productivity- The quality or state of being productive.
Tips- Useful pieces of advice
Starting PCB Projects
Starting PCB Projects
Starting PCB Projects
Starting PCB Projects
Starting PCB Projects
Starting PCB Projects
Starting PCB Projects
How to select in Version 17 like you did in prior versions
• In version 17 a right to left selection is a crossing type of selection.
• Use the S,I command to select inside window to select like you did in
earlier Altium versions.
How to manage layer sets
• Save favorite view options by function such as placement, All routes, planes, Drawings,
etc.
• Top place, bottom place, bot place flipped
• LMB click on the LS button in the lower left
• Select board layer sets – new set
• Build a net set from current selections or pick from list. L or OL to bring up
• It does not save the Show/Hide status, click SHIFT-D to bring it up.
• Use these to quickly switch into desired views.
• Use SHIFT-S to toggle to single layer mode.
• Use N,S,A to show all design nets, use N,H,A to Hide all nets
– Also use this to see nets on component N,S,O or net N,S,N
How to tile your schematics and board into two panes quickly
• Open your PCB and one of your schematic pages
• Window > Tile Vertically
• Open a 3rd item if you want to change where they are at. Once you have the PCB
and Schematic showing where you want go to projects tab and right click on source
documents and open all (or sometimes unhide all)
Layer Sets manager
Show to change layer names to keep track of them better
• Right click on the tabs and select use short medium or long names.
• Add 01_…13_,14_ as a prefix to the layers in your stack up.
• Type D,K to bring up the layer stack manager
Then double click on the Layer name and you can add the prefix
• Add M01_... for the Mechanical Layers in the options layers configuration by typing OL or L.
• Go to OL or L to see the new layer names.
Starting PCB Projects
Consider using a design start checklist
to make sure you are asking the right questions
right from the start.
Schematics
Using net name prefixes on nets to set up classes quickly.
• Net sorts alpha numerically
• Diff pairs must end in _N and _P
• On diff pairs always setup a tolerance in the rule.
No tolerance triggers a DRC error.
• Use a prefix for any class or group you want to create
• Use a suffix for any extended nets you want to measure
• Set classes on schematic with directives
• Set in PCB nets panel, Right click on <All Nets>, Add Class, move from non-
members to members.
How to bring a spreadsheet into Altium
• Go to the layer you want the lines and text on.
• Select the table in Excel and CTRL-C
• Click in PCB then CTRL-V to paste it in.
• This works on both the schematic and PCB.
• The schematic also allows you to post a table in a text box, but
you lose any border outlines.
Placement
Placement Strategy
• Two main placement strategies:
1) Group and place by schematic sheet functionality
• Use rooms to place each schematic sheet.
• Optimize all placement for each page into shortest paths.
• Keep room for vias and test points and silkscreen (if used).
• Make a union of room parts.
• Place rooms into PCB in most logical flow.
2) Place on PCB filling in next to fixed component locations
• Place components body to body.
• Fill in from one component to the next.
• Good for very dense designs.
• Generally best to complete all placement before routing except in areas where
critical routes impact placement.
Using 3D shapes
• Import vendor STEP file cad data
• Use snap points in 3D view to get exact snap locations on the 2D
view
• Use a percentage shading to see through images to see if they line
up.
How to tag team placement with multiple users
• First group parts in rooms and separate rooms around board.
• Define work on one room at a time for each user so you can work in parallel.
• Keep a master PCB and make a slave copy for others.
• Import process load both master and slave PCB’s.
• Delete parts off of the master that are done on slave.
• Select all the work done on the slave. Use CTRL-C and pick the origin or a mounting hole on
grid
• Use E, A to edit, paste special. Click on keep net names and keep classes. Insert with CTRL-V
at the EXACT point you picked in the slave.
• Do a Design update to check if you deleted all the parts on the master and update classes in
the PCB.
• Assign the next room for placement and send out a new slave PCB.
~PCB, Collaborate Compare and Merge, works if all are on SVN together or if you just want to
compare two PCB’s.
How to use unions and rooms to ease placement
• Use rooms to setup the design into groups of components.
• Select parts in the PCB Components panel
• Move selected parts with the T,O,R command
• Once you place a group of parts make them a union with a Right Mouse Button, Unions.
Then it will move as a group. Rooms can also be used.
• Unions will often display all features and rats nets when a group selection would not. This
can make it a lot easier to get the precise placement you want.
• When moving a union select on a centroid or something on grid or the whole group will be
off grid.
How to use the layer stack manager to show
placement and test point keepouts
• So you have a rule to keep parts 5mm from the edge and testpoints 2.5mm
• Take a power plane and gnd plane and in the Layer stack manager temporarily expand the
Pullback to 5mm on one and 2.5mm on the other. This will make it really easy to see.
• Or you can just have the keepout layer on all the time or set your rule and wait for a violation
to pop up.
Move selections by X,Y
• Select the items you want and then Edit, Move, Move Selection by XY
Put in the exact distances you want to move the selections.
• Remember you can toggle the X and Y and this might save some
typing. Also the positive and negative can toggle.
• Units can also be changed in the upper left corner whenever you see
this icon
Routing
How to move stuff from one layer to another
• Edit Paste Special is used to move things from one layer to the next. Select and copy, go to
the new layer you want it on and paste special, paste on current layer.
• Another way is to use the PCB inspector to change the layer, but be careful you only have
selected what you want.
Method for how to close out test point
usage errors on a large design
• The test point manager points out complete, illegal or incomplete nets.
• No way to see each net that needs a test point.
• Set up rule for assembly test point style to define sizes, grid, and clearance for ICT pads.
• Setup rule for Assy. Test point usage to require single test point per net.
• Run a DRC, select the errors in the PCB Rules and Violations and make a class of nets out of the
violating nets.
• Highlight the net class and now you can easily see all the nets that need a test point.
• Add the test point and remove the net from the net class or just create a new updated net class.
How to walk through the nets in a design to check it.
1) Open the PCB- Z,B –Zoom board
2) Open up the PCB panel – V,W,P,P – View Workspace panels, PCB, PCB
3) Select the nets pulldown
4) Select a class to see all the nets in a group – Set options to Dim or Mask, select,
zoom board, clear existing .
5) Select the class <All Nets> - In the list of nets scroll up and down with up and
down arrows. Each net will be highlighted. Use shift or cntl key to select
multiple nets.
6) Click in PCB to turn off selection, and see nets in the current layer colors.
7) Another way - Use Edit Select component connections
How to get the total match net lengths on xnets in a few seconds.
• Create a net class that includes all nets in the extended class “D0,D0-1,D0-2…D15,D15-1,D15-2”
• Shift click on top and bottom net in panel to select all the nets. CTRL- C to put in buffer.
• Open an Excel worksheet– CTRL-V to Paste in
• In new column add the Xnet’s “=Sum(D12,D14)” to get the total length of each Xnet. Drag
formula down by picking the lower right corner of cell.
• In new column get delta from target length “=$F$12-F12” Drag down. Add or subtract length
as needed in design.
• To recalculate just grab the netclass again and paste at the * in the spreadsheet, you’ll instantly
see the new delta’s
How to find that last small unconnected net on a big design
• Hit OL or L to open up the view configurations
• Under systems colors check the box for Default color for new nets.
• In the design hit N,S,A to show all nets
• Turn off pad holes and via holes
• Hit CTRL-D to bring up show/hide, click all hidden. Now you’ll just see the un-routed nets.
• Show all the features again.
How to delete a one or more long traces quickly
• Type E,S,P for Edit Select connected copper.
Hit the Delete key.
• Use the shift key to select more than one net.
• Type S,S then pick one track to select all connected tracks on the same layer.
• Sometimes it will be faster to place a fill over an area to delete traces and then
select the copper and delete.
• The find similar objects, PCB Inspector can also be useful for this.
Simple way to deal with HDI via stacks
• Build a layer stack chart outside the PCB border.
• Put each type of via and via structure in the
chart.
• Put the vias on grid in the chart.
• Accurately place via offsets in the chart.
• Always build stacked laser vias with a via for
each layer.
• Cut and paste vias from the chart as needed
Example of a 3-8-3 via structure with offset
More HDI via stacks tips
• Specctra interface with HDI is pretty much broken
• Requires renaming of vias each time – very hard
to do.
• Expect extra time to place HDI via structures
• Be VERY careful not to mix units when placing and
working with concentric via stacks. Stay in mils or
mm. Offset vias break Specctra interface.
• Also start and end all tracks at center of pads or vias.
Polygon editing
• Add new polygons with Place>Polygon pour or type P,G.
• Set Fill mode to Solid, Hatched or none.
• Set the connect to net
• Give it a Property name or use Auto Naming
• Assign layer if not correct already
• Choose the pour over method.
• Use Tools>Polygon Pours>Polygon manager to set pour priority order, or type T,G,M
• Higher priority pours block lower priority pours.
• Helpful to arrange each layer together
• Helpful to name each layer with layer number prefix
• Polygon Pour manager also has links to setting polygon rules
More on Polygon editing
• Editing Polygons
• Sliding an edge grab an edge between the end and middle,
when the cursor changes you can move it.
• Move a vertex by selecting the solid square on the corner.
• Use the control key when selecting an open square
to create a new vertex.
• Use Shift key and spacebar to toggle into arcs
• More precise editing than dragging with cursor
can be done with the + and – keys.
More on Polygon editing
• Another way to edit polygons is to select the polygon,
then RMB click on the polygon, click on polygon actions
to bring up a hidden menu, click on modify polygon
border. This lets you edit a new outline onto the existing
outline.
• Slicing the polygon pour is also available in this hidden
menu.
Tools>Convert
• Convert menu options allows you to make keep outs and
odd slots from imported DXF files.
• Useful for making board cutouts from selected primitives.
Use the T,V,B
• Useful for changing one entity into another
How do you find and edit the odd hole size on a large board?
Method #1
Use the Tools>Legacy Tools>Legacy Hole Size Editor
Increase the hole size by an inch and you’ll find it easy.
Modify the hole to the proper size now that you can find it.
Method #2
Select everything
Go to View>PCB>PCB List
Change to include only vias and pads
Sort by Hole Size, scroll down the list.
Change from View to edit and adjust hole size
Outputs
Output.job tips
• Going through all the pull downs in the output.job file requires many clicks.
• Setting up all the layers and preferences takes time.
• The output.job is a text file that can be edited in Notepad.exe
• Once in notepad all names can be changed with find and replace.
• All file paths can also be changed with find and replace.
• Editing the output.job text file in Notepad.exe allows a faster edit and it
allows you to borrow an output.job file setup from past jobs you processed.
Using variant properties to control text on PCB and Schematics
• Using properties can insert different text on the same drawing for different variants.
• In the *.PcbPrj file the Project>Variant add the various text that will change with each variant in
each variant.
• The =.variant_text goes on the Schematic or PCB text
• In the project variant this will be .variant_text
• If you use vault parts you must use variant managed parts for fitted or not fitted parts. The
standard (No Bom) get updated to default each time the item manager updates the part.
• These variant properties can also be used in the output.job file to name folders or drawings
• Try adding the different strings you need. Also Project>Option>Parameters can name
.smart_text
Microsoft tips
• Use Alt-Tab to switch between open windows.
• Use CTRL-ALT-PRINT SCREEN to copy image
• Use CTRL Arrows to jump by words not letters
• Use CNTL+SHIFT+ESCAPE > Task manager > Process> View> Select Columns -
to see if program is dead look at I/O reads & writes and usage.
PCB List tips
• PCB List Contains both a view and edit mode
• PCB list can capture a selected entity.
• The entity can then be placed at the desired coordinates
• This can be used to draw a circle around drc errors for instance when
the x-y coordinates are extracted from a DRC report.
• Can also update other features with PCB list.
Help>Shortcut Keys
This takes you to the Altium Designer Documentation website.
Learning Hot Keys
Learning is ongoing.
There’s always a next level.
A new command.
More areas of mastery to develop.
• If you learn just two new Hot Keys a week in a years time you’ll have learned 104 of them.
• Once you have a new skill – teach it to someone. That doubles your understanding of it.
• If you are fortunate to work alongside others, watch how they handle certain tasks, and learn.
• If your in a solo designer environment look to link with people online to continue learning.
Developing Productivity Tips
Accept the Challenge
Carl Schattke, CID+
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/carls
Email – [email protected]
Would love to hear any comments on this presentation.
Especially what you would want more of and less of.
