D-Sub connectors, also known as D-subminiature or DB connectors, are electrical connectors commonly used in communications. They consist of two or more parallel rows of pins (in male connectors) or holes (in female connectors). The name D-Sub comes from their characteristic D-shaped metal shield, which has two important functions: it provides mechanical strength and ensures…

For versions 13.0 and older: Go to this link to download and install the PCAD ASCII importer. Go to this link to download and install Accel importer. NOTE: These 2 importers are what you are going to need to be able to import the .lia file. Please Restart Altium software after installation. For versions 14.0+:…

In electronics, linear voltage regulators are commonly used to stabilize voltages. Regardless of the input voltages or load conditions, they will provide fixed output voltages, thus protecting devices from fluctuating outputs, which can cause inefficient performance or even damage. When designing a power supply for an application that requires a small difference between its input…

We are excited to announce that millions of electronics parts on SnapEDA can now be imported into Proteus. Proteus is one of the most requested formats on SnapEDA. SnapEDA’s new Proteus format provides solder mask, solder paste, and custom pad shapes, along with courtyard and silkscreen definitions. Also, when importing the footprints, the import log…

Fiducial reference points are necessary in a circuit board if you are going to assemble your PCB using automated pick and place machines. Automated assembly machines require incredible precision to accurately place a 0201 size resistor or a 2mm x 2mm chip-scale micro BGA. A fiducial is the reference point on the PCB for assembly…

Two decades ago, parallel and serial ports were the dominant interfaces for connectivity and communication between computers and their peripheral devices. Today, USB connectors have largely replaced them, becoming so ubiquitous that they’re now the default interface of choice for most electronic devices – even supplying power. The first integrated circuits supporting USB were produced by Intel…

Whether it’s surviving a turbulent rocket launch, or warding off radiation from the galaxy, Brady Salz of Astranis explains some of the unique challenges of designing printed circuit boards (PCBs) for space. Hi Brady, you’re a hardware engineer at Astranis. Can you tell us more about what you’re working on? Brady: Sure! At Astranis, we’re…

As a follow-up to our post on the Top 10 DC-DC Converters downloaded by the SnapEDA community, we thought it was about time to cover the top 10 AC/DC converters! Converting alternating current (AC) into direct current (DC) is one of the most common power electronics applications since electricity is transmitted as AC, yet electronics generally…

When importing footprints downloaded from SnapEDA into Altium, the importer will automatically add solder paste and solder mask anywhere there is a copper pad. Most of the time, a 1:1 ratio between the copper pad and these other layers is ideal (as per IPC standards), however, there are times when you’ll want to remove the…