Tools/Altium Designer
|
These pages contain informations on how to design Schematics and PCBs using Altium Designer.
First Steps
New Project
Some model documents are available in the folder
P:\Library\AltiumLib\Templates\ProjectTemplates
.
-
HESSO\HESSO2L.PrjPcb
for in house pcb manufacturing -
Eurocircuit4L\Eurocircuit4L.PrjPcb
to work with an external PCB manufacturer.
New Schematic Sheet
Before adding a new Schematic Sheet to your project you have to define the default schematic template.
Set the default schematic template at DXP -> Preferences -> System -> New Document Defaults -> Schematic
from
P:\Library\AltiumLib\Templates\SchematicTemplates
:
e.g.: P:\Library\AltiumLib\Templates\SchematicTemplates\A3\HESSO Lanscape A3.SchDot
.
Project Parameters
The Name of a Project Parameter serves as placeholder for its Value throughout the design. At HEI we use it mainly to put it as text on the PCB. If you write .<ProjectParameterName> in any text field inside the project, it will be replaced by the <ProjectParameterName>.
This step is optional.
Right-click on ***.PrjPcb -> Project Options... -> Parameters
, and fill in the fields as shown in the table below.
Name | Value |
---|---|
PcbDate | <date> |
PcbDesigner | <name> |
PcbRevision | <version> |
SchematicDate | <date> |
SchematicDesigner | <name> |
SchematicRevision | <version> |
There exist already a long list of Predefined Special Strings in Altium Designer, which are used the same way, e.g: .Pcb_File_Name_No_Path
.
Use CamelCase to differentiate your Paramters from the Predefined Special Strings, which add in snake_case.
Save Project
In the Projects view right-click on the ***.PrjPcb
file and select Save Project As...
, enter the project name and
choose the right destination folder (typically inside the folder PCB
of your project on I:
).
Altium will ask you to give a name for the ***.SchDoc
.
The Project View
of your design should now look something like this: