The extension apps for altium designer and their companion plugins form a bridge between the electronic ecad and mechanical mcad design worlds. Solidworks pcb documentation online documentation for. Watch the altium design status bar for progress messages and also watch the solidworks window. Hover the mouse over anything inside solidworks pcb a button, command, dialog, panel, design object, or query language functionkeyword and press f1 to access documentation for it. This executable is downloaded from the downloads page of the altium website, and can be saved anywhere on your hard disk. At the fundamental file exchange level, altium designer offers both export and. This tutorial assumes the reader has theoretical knowledge of electrical circuits and is applying that knowledge towards a real world design project. This product allows altium users to create a solidworks assembly directly from altium designer. Getting started with pcb design poznan university of. Get an indepth look at solidworks 3d design solutions, tools, and techniques. Working between solidworks pcb and altium designer since solidworks pcb swpcb was established on the same platform as altium designer ad, the file formats are the same or similar.
If you want circuitworks to build the model of your board then you need to export from altium as idf3. Provides a starting point for thermal analysis by modeling pcb. Use solidworks parts if available, or automatically create parts from idf data directly. Fpga schematic design vhdlverilog compilers casm compilers scripting simulation 2d field solver simulation engine library management database and advanced query language. Learn the features and benefits of the solidworks modeler for altium by desktopeda.
Altium designer and solidworks, the altium modeler for solidworks will help in avoiding costly design errors by improving the ecadmcad integration process. Within solidworks pcb, the f1 shortcut is definitely worth getting acquainted with. It is bidirectional and provides advanced capabilities not available in other products, such as modelling of copper, silk screens and solder masks as native features. Dystrybucja oprogramowania inzynierskiego computer controls. Recently, i attended a week of training on solidworks newest product, solidworks pcb. The product are invoked from panels in both the pcb editor and the pcb library editor. May 24, 2017 one inside a solidworks package and one that ports altium to and from sw. Altium introduction to solidworks modeler for altium. Jan, 2015 a brief overview of an altium plugin that models pcbs in solidworks, providing a means of collaboration between ecad and mcad designers. As for interface with solidworks, i think that altium supports 4. Importing altium step files into solidworks download. Aug 16, 20 the new addon applications, desktop eda solidworks modeler and the idf modeler, are available for altium designer.
The following formats are the same for both swpcb and ad as of. View the solidworks 3d design process, intuitive interface, and design standards. Tutorial on adding part from snapeda to altium designer. Solidworks idf modeler inventor idf modeler solidedge idf modeler. Follow the link and complete the form to have a cad microsolutions expert contact you to answer your questions and discuss any of your needs. If you are new to altium designer, you will undoubtedly have designs in some other file format either from an. I am having difficulty adding the component to my altium designer schematic. The altium modeler for solidworks is an addin for altium that allows users to model their circuit boards in solidworks. In addition, you can move parts or edit the shape of the pcb in solidworks and have those changes reflected in the pcb editor. I tried looking for a tutorial on here and the youtube channel. Req solidworks modeler for altium designer sonsivri. A brief overview of an altium plugin that models pcbs in solidworks, providing a means of collaboration between ecad and mcad designers. This provides a stepbystep explanation of how to create a complete design in solidworks pcb, and covers all aspects of the process literally from idea to manufacture. Solidworks modeler and idf modeler for altium designer.
The altium designer pcb project must be stored in the collaboration servervault as a managed project for altium designer and solidworks to be able to collaborate on it. Solidworks pcb has combined the latest features in pcb design with a streamlined interface and linked it with solidworks to give you a collaborative design experience that gets your pcbs done both ontime and onbudget. We will introduce solidworks pcb which we affectionately swpcb and discuss the use models each represents. The pcb is modeled by exporting the board outline to a solidworks sketch and extruding it. When coupled with the desktop eda idf modeler for altium designer, idf exports can include tracks, polygons, and silk screen objects, creating a starting point for thermal simulation of pcb designs. Installing the altium designersolidworks collaboration add. This app for altium designer and its complementary add on for solidworks allows pcb designs to be edited in both systems without the need for an intermediate file. You can create a realistic model of your pcb in solidworks using native solidworks parts. Ecadmcad collaboration solutions for altium designer. Solidworks offers complete 3d software tools that are easy to learn and use, and work together to help you design products better. Altiumsolidworks modeler for altium designer, mcad.
Launch altium designer, open the dxp tab, and click extensions and updates. One inside a solidworks package and one that ports altium to and from sw. Understanding models, components and libraries altium designer. Solidworks pcb, powered by altium, brings this collaborative element to focus with seamless workflow collaboration. Solidworks pcb software combines the latest pcb design technology with a seamless collaboration experience between electrical and mechanical design. Altium announces new pcb design tool for integrated.
Aug 01, 2016 solidworks pcb is powered by altium s tested and trusted layout engine. Idf4 will give you the copper traces but idf3 doesnt. Overview with altium designer and solidworks installed on the same pc the modeler allows you to build the solidworks assembly in real time. Exploring solidworks pcb online documentation for altium. Changes can be made in solidworks and be automatically. It takes the guesswork out of your design collaboration process and provides a managed environment for design revisions between the altium electrical environment and the solidworks mechanical environment.
This industry needs to close the gap between the designer and the pcb production fab. The tool, which is a standalone product in partnership with pcb software developer altium, is closely integrated with core solidworks and. On the extensions and updates page, click the purchased tab. Phoenix, az prweb uk 9 february 2015 altium limited, a global leader in electronic design automation, native 3d pcb design systems altium designer, circuitstudio, circuitmaker, ecad design data management altium vault, and embedded software development toolkits tasking today announced pcbworks, a new pcb design tool created to enhance workflow collaboration between electrical. F1 also works for specific pages in the preferences dialog, and specific rule constraint pages in the pcb rules and. Click on the system box in the lower right hand corner of the designer and then click files and projects to make the tabs appear. Solidworks pcb, powered by altium page 1 eevblog electronics community forum. Engineered specifically for collaboration with solidworks, an electrical designer can export changes to the board design that are needed and of value by the mechanical.
Then on solidworks pcb connector, click the down arrow in the top right corner of the tile to download and begin the installation. With desktop edas solidworks modeler for altium designer, take the next step into ecad mcad system integration. Altium designer is used by pcb designers and engineers to create new electronic gadgets for entertainment, industry, defence, and the. This installs inside the altium designer application and allows you create assemblies from your pcbs and also allows you to perform live bidirectional updating between altium and solidworks. This new pcb design software was developed in a collaborative effort between altium and solidworks to bridge the gap between the ecad and mcad tools solidworks pcb streamlines the design of the printed circuit board to effectively allow realtime interaction between mechanical and. Tutorial on adding part from snapeda to altium designer tutorial on adding part from snapeda to altium designer 1 hey guys, trying my first snapeda part.
Importing altium step files into solidworks download software. Unless explicitly stated all source material is from the altium website and altium training documents. Then i generate the step file from altium and import it into solidworks and simply add the aforementioned images to the board surfaces. Mar 31, 2016 the mcad co designer extension for altium designer does exactly this. Creating and modifying a project with altium designer.
Altium has partnered with desktop eda to provide designers with advanced ecad and mcad integration. With all of your traditional pcb design tools at your fingertips and a seamless integration with solidworks 3d cad, designing printed circuit boards and managing changes has never been easier. Altium modeler for solidworks use this if you can have solidworks and altium available on the same pc. Oct 08, 20 learn the features and benefits of the solidworks modeler for altium by desktopeda. Solidworks assembly and synchronize these changes with the altium designer pcb. The following formats are the same for both swpcb and ad as of sw pcb 2017 sp3. It also investigates the concept of projects and integrated libraries. This executable is downloaded from the downloads page of the altium website, and can be saved anywhere on your hard disk running the setup wizard.
Sldprt, solidworks format 3d model can be imported into a pcb 3d. Collaborating between altium designer and solidworks online. Altium techdocs are online documentation for altium products, providing the basic information you need to get the most out of our tools. If you want circuitworks to build the model of your board then you need to export from altium as idf3 or idf4. I assume that this would work with any 3d rendering tool that reads step files. The solidworks modeler allows altium users to create a solidworks assembly of a printed circuit board pcb directly from the altium application.
The new addon applications, desktop eda solidworks modeler and the idf modeler, are available for altium designer the extension apps for altium designer and their companion plugins form a bridge between the electronic ecad and mechanical mcad design worlds. Using the place wire tool add wires between the components just like the image shown belo w d. They also have a step export that is pretty snazzy, and i think there is the ability to do realtime changes in ecadmcad packages and have either or update. The mcad codesigner extension for altium designer does exactly this. Ecadmcad collaboration solutions for altium designer users. If you dont have this you can do a save as from altium and save as a. Even with design rule checks, the fab usually has to call the designer or engineer to clarify issues that affect manufacturability and yield. The mcad designer can then import and place the pcb assembly 3d. How to install altium designer 2016 understanding altium designer walkthrough tutorial schematic capture mixed signal simulations spice basic concepts credits. The solidworks pcb connector is available as an extension to altium designer and is distributed through cad microsolutions in canada.
Solidworks pcb design technology powered by altium. To access the altium designer solidworks collaboration setup wizard, you need to first download and run an executable altium designer solidworks collaboration. Altium solidworks modeler for altium designer, mcad. Req solidworks modeler for altium designer read 7431 times 0 members and 1 guest are viewing this topic. Swpcbdoc file with altium only on the last version v2017 with the patch. But i am a mentorseimens now padspcb user for 25 years. This is a tutorial for an introduction to pcb design using altium designer. Pcbdoc with solidworkspcb if we used version of altium prior to the version of solidworkspcb. Developed jointly by solidworks and altium inc, solidworks pcb was designed for those designers and engineers who want the power of altium designers core capabilities and the added benefits of seamless mcadecad collaboration. Supporting bidirectional communication between altium and solidworks. As well as being used to store the ecad data, the collaboration servervault also stores the shared design elements, including the board shape and an mcad model of each component. Altium designer is used by pcb designers and engineers to create new electronic gadgets for. Interactive router an interactive routing engine helps to maximize your routing efficiency and flexibility with intuitive modes such as single trace, push, and avoid obstacle dragging to move around common obstacles in.
Learn how to use this powerful design package to generate pcb schematics and board layouts, as well. This product allows collaboration between altium designer and solidworks. You can then place this assembly into its product assembly to allow checks for errors such as mechanical interference or provide input for thermal simulation. Getting started with pcb design summary tutorial tu0117 v1. Altium designer tutorial by glenn mercier ebook lulu. Solidworks pcb delivers a powerful design solution that unites the electrical ecad and mechanical mcad worlds by facilitating streamlined collaboration between the two. Launch solidworks and arrange the windows such that you can see both the altium designer and the solidworks applications. Altium designer is an electronic design automation software package for printed circuit board, fpga and embedded software design, and associated library and release management automation. Idf modeler for altium designer pads ascii modeler for mcad. Altium modeler for solidworks this product allows altium users to create a solidworks assembly directly from altium designer. Installing the pcb connector for altium designer solidworks.