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Contents
Tool-chains vs. Altiums
Platform Approach
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See Also
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Moving to Altium
Designer from PADS
This document guides you through the process of moving from PADS to Altium Designer.
Workspace Panels
Many elements of the environment will appear intuitive to PADS
users, helping as you to start exploring the system. For example,
the Projects panel will appear similar to the PADS Logic Project
Explorer view, except that it is not limited to schematic design
data and can include the PCB,
all libraries, output files, as
well as other project documents,
such as MS Word or Excel files.
Getting Help
Main article: Documentation and Help
The best way to learn is through doing, Altium and Altium Designer provide a number of ways to
help you do that:
F1 over any object, editor, panel, menu entry or button to open a brief description in the Knowledge
Center panel.
Shift+F1 while running a command for a list of shortcuts you can use in that command.
Search the Altium Wiki, either in the Knowledge Center panel or on the Altium Wiki Website.
Visit the TRAININGcenter where you can watch over 100 short training videos, each detailing the exact
steps needed to complete a task.
AltiumLive
In AltiumLive you can share all your thoughts with your industry peers. It is the central place for users of
Altium. This includes a complete Ecosystem to deliver content, knowledge and experience of other users to you. Also, it is a place where you have a direct interface to Altium for any feedback like a feature
request. With that feedback, we are much better prepared to improve our software in a way the market
really requests.
Software: You can download Altium Designer together with a 1 month trial version
Content: You will find content like libraries, design secrets and reference designs
Forum: Discuss your topics with Altium staff and users.
Blogs: Whats new, technical and commercial topics around Altium.
BugCrunch: Report Bugs, request features and vote for implementation
Project-Based Design
Main article: Project Management
The starting point for every design created in Altium Designer is a project file. There are a number of
project types supported, each targeting a different final implementation, for example PCB project, Library
project, FPGA project, Embedded project, Core Project and Script project. The project file stores links to the
actual design documents that are part of the project, as well as project-specific settings. Using this concept, you have additional possibilities like defining rules for PCB design already in Schematic. Also, this is a
central storage place for your complete design, e.g. for the design rules.
Multi-Channel Design
Main articles: Multi-Channel Design Concepts, Creating a Multi-channel Design
There are several multi-channel reference designs available. These include the Multi-Channel Mixer, Peak
Detector and Port Switcher. All three designs can be found within AltiumLive Once you have opened one
of the examples you should compile it, and then look for the compiled document tabs at the bottom of
the schematic editor.
Complex hierarchy is the general term used throughout the industry to describe the process of using
multiple instances of the same sheet in a schematic hierarchy. Traditionally, a design that included complex hierarchy had to go through a process of 'flattening' or 'expanding' the hierarchy at some point, to
uniquely instantiate every component and net. Altium Designer does not need to do this, so this multipleinstantiation capability is referred to as multi-channel design instead of complex hierarchy.
The ability to be able to make each channel different by passing parameters to it from the parent sheet
symbol is also supported, and is referred to as parametric hierarchy.
Using parametric hierarchy you can parametrically define the component value, supporting the situation
where a component does not have the same value in each channel. Parametric components are defined by
declaring their value as a parameter of the sheet symbol above, and then referencing that parameter on
the target component.
Preferences
Main article: Altium Designer Environment Preferences
Global Preferences are accessed by selecting DXPPreferences from the menus. The preferences configured here are stored as part of your installation, they do not travel with the design files. File-specific settings, such as schematic document options and printed circuit board options are accessed via the Design
menu in each editor.
Interactive Routing
Main article: PCB Routing
Altium Designer also has different interactive routing modes for interactive routing for single tracks, differential pairs and busses. Modes for interactive routing are not dependent on licensing options, and are all
available in the PCB Editor with different routing obstacle avoidance modes:
Ignore obstacles
Push obstacles
Walk around obstacles
Stop at first obstacle
Hug and push obstacles
Follow mouse trail
Design Rules
Main articles: Design Rules, Creating Design Rules, Design Rule Checking, Scoping Design Rules
Altium Designer's PCB Editor is a rules-driven design environment. You can also transfer your favorite
design rules from another board. Design rules can be exported from, and imported to, the PCB Rules and
Constraints Editor dialog.
Figure 7. The PCB Rules and Constraints editor in Altium Designer can be opened in the PCB
Editor with the Design > Rules command.
Signal Integrity
Main articles: Performing Signal Integrity Analyses, Signal Integrity Analysis, Signal Integrity Rules, Signal Integrity Panel
In addition to the standard set of design rules for DRC, Altium Designer also supports Signal Integrity
analysis, which is integrated directly into the PCB Editor (ToolsSignal Integrity). This includes:
Pre-layout and post-layout Signal Integrity analysis capabilities that you can perform from either the
Schematic or the PCB Editors;
Evaluate net screening results against predefined tests
Perform reflection and crosstalk analysis on selected nets, and display waveforms
Calculate suitable termination values using the termination advisor for different termination topologies
Impedance driven routing, as well as support for balanced differential pairs
Length tuning by adding accordions to your single ended and differential pairs
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Design Synchronization
Main article: Finding Differences and Synchronizing Designs
Design synchronization is fully integrated in Altium Designer without the need for passing a net list. Synchronization in Altium Designer is also bidirectional, allowing you to make annotation changes and component property updates in both directions between your schematic and PCB, in a single operation.
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Project Outputs
Generating documentation has always been an essential part of your work. If you want to automate your
design outputs and therefore make it repeatable, you can leverage this by using the concept of Output
Jobs. Output Jobs are a graphical way to batch all of the settings necessary to generate any output. If you
have defined them once, generating all of the necessary files with all of the necessary settings is just one
mouse-click away. And if you implement them into your new document defaults, generating outputs for
your next projects will also be one button push away. In Altium Designer 10 output jobs are the basis of
our release data management. With that you can standardize your complete release management and
make it a push-button solution to make it right the first time.
To learn about generating manufacturing output, either using the OutputJob Editor or using the Reports
menu see Design to Manufacturing.
To learn about the CAM Editor see Auto-Loading Fabrication Output into the CAM Editor.
To learn about the built in PDF generation wizard, see Smart PDF available from the File menu and Publish
to PDF available in the Output Job Editor
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Select Type of Files to Import PADS ASCII Design And Library Files
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In the next step you can add your Schematic or PCB Libraries to import (if available)
Note: Because the library part and decal information is included in the source files, it is not necessary to
add libraries for schematic or PCB files to successfully translate. Only add libraries to this screen if you wish
to independently translate entire libraries for later use in Altium Designer.
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Set the options for what level of reporting is done after the translation has completed.
Set the option to simplify imported pad stacks by using the largest pad found for all layers.
Set PCB Options, for instance, which PADS design rules are to be translated, how PADS keep
outs are to be converted, etc. The Generate Teardrops option will add teardrops to the PCB design,
so do not enable this if teardrops are not needed in your design.
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Click the Edit Mapping button to configure which layers are converted and what layer types they are
converted to.
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The PCB file will be pre-analyzed to determine what the PADS layers are and initialize the layer mappings
so that, for instance, the PADS silk screen layers convert to Altium silk screen (overlay) layers.
Note: PADS Split/Mixed layers will be analyzed to determine if the layer is being used as mixed layer (i.e.,
has pour AND route data) or as a split plane layer (just pours). If the latter, the layer will be initialized as
an Altium Plane (which is a negative layer) to take advantage of Altiums split plane capabilities. If you wish
the S/M layer to remain a positive image pour layer, remap the layer to one of Altiums Mid Layers which
are positive. In the Preview.asc example, the Power Plane layer has only pours for the +5V and +12V
nets but no routes, so it is initialized as an Altium Plane. For this example, we will show it remapped to an
Altium Mid Layer.
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A preview of the files being translated and their output directories are shown. Change the main output
directory if desired.
Click the final Next button and the Import Wizard will take care of the rest.
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Open the translated Project files. After compilation of your design in Altium Designer with
ProjectCompile Project your design has been successfully brought into Altium Designer!
A matching schematic and PCB will allow the use of the Cross Select Mode by enabling ToolsCross Select
Mode in both the schematic and PCB editors. Component selection in either editor will select the matching
component in the other editor. For more robust Cross Navigation and ECO capabilities, it is recommended
that the Component Links be synchronized. The next section details that procedure.
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This allows much greater flexibility in re annotating reference designators, as previous synchronization of
the designators is not a requirement; the synchronization is all done via the Unique ID. The ECO process
and other synchronization checks can be done much more quickly and easily when the Unique IDs all
match.
During a normal design process starting at the schematic then going to PCB, the Unique IDs are automatically passed so its a transparent process for the user. For translated files, however, the Unique IDs do
not automatically get synchronized. Not to worry Altium Designer has a tool to do this for you!
In the PCB editor, select ProjectComponent Links. The dialog will show (on the right side) the components
that currently have matching Unique IDs. Those in the left and center columns are unmatched:
Clicking the Add Pairs Matched By>> button will link the Unique IDs using various methods the simplest
and default being reference designator matching. Components whose reference designators match will
then be placed in the Matched Components column. Clicking Perform Update will change the Unique IDs
in the PCB to match those found in the schematic.
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See Also
Below are references to other articles and tutorials in the Altium Designer Documentation Library that talk
more about the conceptual information as well as walking you through specific tasks. Remember, you can
also browse through the Help contents, and use F1 and What's This at any time in a dialog for more details.
For more PCB project options, refer to the tutorial, Getting Started with PCB Design.
For more FPGA project options, refer to the tutorial, Tutorial - Getting Started with FPGA Design.
For a tutorial that steps you through all the basics of creating components, read Creating Library
Components.
For a tutorial that steps you through all the basics of editing multiple objects, read Editing Multiple
Objects.
For an overview of Altium Designer's FPGA design, development and debugging capabilities, read
Soft Design.
A great place to start your journey through all of the new possibilities is coming with your Altium Designer
installation. On the top right of Altium Designer you can find the Home button.
From here, you can easily access the Documentation Library in the Tasks area where the Getting Started
with Altium Design Solutions category will ease your start into a unified future.
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