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ECAD/MCAD PCB Design

Today's designs carry strict mechanical and electrical constraints, and both sets of constraints need to be considered in your PCB design process. Browse our library of resources to learn more about electronic computer aided design (ECAD) and mechanical computer aided design (MCAD) for printed circuit boards.

Defining ECAD & MCAD Integrations CoDesigner and MCAD Component Placement MCAD CoDesigner MCAD Collaboration

How Online BOM Management Helps Build Teamwork Last week one of my co-workers, a brilliant guy named Phil, quit his job for a position in another company. Phil was amazing, and losing him was a tremendous blow to our department and the company. The tragic thing though is that Phil didn’t leave for a better job, he left because he felt that he no longer added any value. It is amazing at how many truly exemplary employees end up quitting because of workplace frustrations and feeling Read Article

53:08 ECAD MCAD Integration Watch Video

PCB Design Software Features To Consider Before making a decision on buying a home, you would probably ask a lot of questions. Is it close to the facilities and services that are important to you? Is it in a good and safe neighborhood? Will the layout of the house satisfy your needs? These are all important questions that need to be answered before you commit to living there. In the same way, buying new PCB design software deserves the same level of scrutiny. You will want to find out Read Article

3D PCB Design: Why You Need It and How It Will Help You The other day I watched as a young father was entertaining his one-year old son on his shoulders. Securely held by his dad, the boy would constantly move from side trying to get different views of his father. In an overload of cuteness, he would first look at his dad over the left side of his face, then play with his hair, move over to the right side, then go back to where he started from. I thoroughly enjoyed watching this precious moment, but Read Article

The RS485 Interface in a Wireless World I am a huge fan of the Nokia 3310 that made a comeback in the mobile phone industry a few years ago. If you’ve never used one in your life then you’re missing out on one of the most reliable and durable mobile phones in recent history. Unlike the early 2000’s, it’s not easy to find mobile phones that can double as a hammer or fall into the Grand Canyon and survive. In the world of electrical design, RS485 communication offers a similar robustness Read Article

Advanced PCB Design Solutions Require Short and Long Term EDA Software: PCB Design Tips & Tricks - Altium Audio Bites Altium Audio Bites, giving you bite-sized information that's easy to digest and apply to your everyday design tasks. From our PCB Design Tips & Tricks audio series here is: Advanced PCB Design Solutions Require Short and Long Term EDA Software. All our audio series are from real PCB designers in the field, detailing their day to day problems and experiences. We hope you can learn from this as much as we have. Give it a listen and let us know what Read Article

フットプリントへの3D STEPモデルの埋め込み Download PDF

How NASA Plans to Use 3D Printed Circuit Board Technology Editorial credit: Tony Craddock / Shutterstock.com Have you noticed how a 3D model has become a phenomenon? People seem to want to 3D print anything they can now. Maybe the 3D printing craze will collide with the Internet of Things and we’ll get a printed smart fork. While other people are writing about the 50 best things you can make with them and then throw away, I’m going to tell you how NASA hopes to use 3D printing. Between a rocket Read Article

Advantages of Flexible Circuits for Space Applications Sometimes people ask my why space travel is important. The answer seems obvious to me every night when I go to sleep. My pillow is made out of memory foam, which was developed by NASA. Their research efforts for space exploration have led to a host of other important discoveries and gadgets that we all benefit from today. Another useful technology that was originally developed for the aerospace industry is a flex circuit. Rigid flex and fully Read Article

How to Prepare Your PCB for Outgassing in Ultra-High Vacuum Systems You’ve heard the phrase, “rain on your parade” right? When I was in high school I played saxophone in the marching band. Well, one night we had a competition and it ended up drizzling on us 2 miles into the 4-mile march. We had to run for cover. All that hard work ruined by a little rain. On Earth, condensation just makes us seek shelter, but in low pressure, it can spell doom for your experiments. You might not think about condensation in the Read Article

The Most Important Features for PCB Layout Software Comparison: PCB Design Tips Tricks - Altium Audio Bites Altium Audio Bites, giving you bite-sized information that's easy to digest and apply to your everyday design tasks. From our PCB Design Tips & Tricks audio series here is: The Most Important Features for PCB Layout Software Comparison. All our audio series are from real PCB designers in the field, detailing their day to day problems and experiences. We hope you can learn from this as much as we have. Give it a listen and let us know what you Read Article

Important Features to Consider When You're Comparing PCB Design Software Anyone who knows me knows that I hate shopping. This is as true for lab equipment and software as it is for clothes and cars. At my lowest of lows I’ve had meltdowns in the mall, and had to call a cab while my friends were still going strong. Now when I shop, I like to get something as close to perfect for me as possible, so that I don’t have to repeat the experience for a long time. So, if I’m looking for ECAD software, what features and support Read Article

Advanced PCB Design Solutions Require Short and Long Term EDA Software My grandfather taught me to always use the right tool for the job. He told me that because I broke one of his screwdrivers while using it as a pry bar. Sorry, grandpa. You might not break something by using the wrong apparatus, but you are guaranteed to take too long to finish your work. The same principle applies to PCB design. As boards becoming increasingly complex, designers need more advanced tools to build them. You can try working with the Read Article

The Most Important Features for PCB Layout Software Comparison Have you ever gone to a used car dealership and tried to get a good deal on a car? It’s nearly impossible for anyone but a mechanic. When I went I ended up with a choice between two cars that seemed nearly identical to me, except for their price. I picked the cheaper one and took it to a local shop, and found out that I’d chosen a jalopy. Sometimes choosing PCB design software can feel the same way. You use a free program or spend some money on Read Article

Why Increasing Design Complexity Requires the Best Professional PCB Design Software Didn’t everything seem so simple when you were a kid? No job to work at, no mortgage to pay, and no kids of your own to wrangle. My main occupation was to run around outside and try not to get too dirty while playing. Now life is certainly better, but also quite a bit more complicated. Similarly, the PCB industry is also growing up and become more convoluted. Gone are the days of large, simple boards. Now everything has to be small, sleek, and Read Article

The Challenges Of ECAD Library Management Implementing a proper system for ECAD data management enhances team productivity and efficiency to help you deliver products on time and within budget. Read on to learn more. Has the inability to properly manage your ECAD data set back your entire design process? This is often the case for many component engineers who need a reliable resource for managing their data lifecycle. Oftentimes, electronics are in the driver’s seat when it comes to new Read Article

PCB Design: Create 3D Component in a Footprint Library In today’s PCB design process, your design and CAD tool needs to be able to integrate mechanical design workflows into an electrical design tool. Read on to learn how to create 3D component bodies in a footprint library. In today’s PCB design process, you need to be able to integrate mechanical design workflows into an electrical design tool. Transferring inaccurate design data back and forth between the ECAD and MCAD worlds not only causes Read Article