Configuration Management Training
Nick Martin, the founder of Altium (then known as Protel), created the company and its first products to make PCB design available to anyone who wanted to make electronics. His primary focus was hobbyists and small companies with 1 or 2 designers. The designer ran the tool and handled its administration.
The tipping point for Altium came in 2008 when they revolutionized the PCB design process with easy-to-use 3D capabilities. From there, larger companies were giving Altium a serious second look. These companies were buying licenses in large volumes, and the need for configuration management such as license control, company schematic templates, design rule sets, mechanical layer standards, centralized libraries, version control, and uniform document generation processes, to name a few, became apparent.
Configuration management can feel unwieldy at times. It requires knowledge of Altium Designer and its features and understanding the organization's workflow. In most cases, a documented workflow didn't exist or was ignored.
With our experience and knowledge, Nine Dot Connects can assist you with the configuration management process. This is more than just showing the tools; it gives you an understanding of what Altium Designer needs to be done to adhere to the processes in place. It is an opportunity to review the process to ensure it functions as intended. It is also to help you blaze a trail to put missing processes in place.
Potential areas to be addressed:
- Altium Dashboard (Administrator's control of the Altium user accounts)
- Methods of Installation
- Schematic Templates
- Version Control (SVN)
- Library Configuration
- Mechanical Layers
- Outjob Files
- Windows Directory Configuration
The length of training varies based on the level of knowledge being sought and if hands-on experience is being requested. Though we do not have formal exercises designed for these training topics, we can focus on crafting a training/consulting program specific to your company's needs.
Based on past experiences, the following lengths of time are recommended: 2 to 3 days.
