Migrations and Database Libraries with the Wizard of DB

MS Excel is just as much an engineering tool as an office tool. It is a "bridging" tool used to manipulate data from one program for importation into another program. The same holds for Excel database libraries in Altium Designer. We at Nine Dot Connects lean on Excel database libraries for migrating components into products like Altium 365, Concord Pro, and our product, L9 Manager.

Buried in Altium Designer is a wizard that will convert your integrated libraries into a database library. This wizard has been in Altium since Version 6.x, but was long forgotten when Altium introduced its vault products (a.k.a, Concord Pro, Altium 365, and Nexus).

This wizard can be handy for those who want to migrate their symbol-centric libraries into Altium 365 or Concord Pro. This webinar will take you through the nuances of this hidden cranky old wizard:

• Review of creating Integrated libraries
  

• Navigation of the wizard
  

• Conversion of the Access DB result to Excel
  

• Recommendations for setting up the tables
  

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Salvaging and Restoring of a Functional Library

Have you ever tried to clean up an old company library, or have you taken it upon yourself to create a company library? I'm sure you discovered this is not a quick or trivial task.

The salvaging and restoring of a library are analogous to the waste recycling process. Recycling material must go through numerous steps to sort it, remove impurities, and reform it to a condition suitable for reuse. Libraries are no different. They must be collected from multiple sources (other than just libraries), reviewed for salvageability and usability, sorted into categories, edited for conformity, and eventually packaged into a usable form for general consumption. This must be organized in a structure and process correctly designed right from the beginning.

This webinar will guide you through the process necessary to salvage and restore a library. This is a must-see for anyone trying to get their component libraries on track.

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SOS about Library Scrubbing

Altium's marketing push for Concord Pro as a component management system has shed light on the gorilla in the room known as library management. They have motivated design groups to have a much-needed, long-delayed conversation about organizing their libraries. As a result, we at Nine Dot Connects have been fielding many library management questions. We are elated that several companies are seriously addressing this critical topic.

However, there is a misconception that a component management tool will create an organized library by importing existing data. Like any software process, garbage-in equals garbage-out. Regardless of the management system, the components must be prepared and formatted for the new system. More importantly, design team members must agree on how the components will be maintained. In short, a sound component management system relies on a definitive setup procedure and continued consistent maintenance that follows that procedure.

In this video, we will explore:

• The general structure of a library management system
  

• What it takes to scrub a library
  

• Look at the time commitment required to scrub a library
  

• The effort to maintain it thereafter
  

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Rethinking Parameters with Altium's Part Choices

A parameter is defined as name = value. However, its deceptive simplicity becomes a thorny issue for anyone trying to maintain a library. If the names are inconsistent, the columns in the bill of materials will not line up correctly. If the values vary, sorting becomes very difficult. Of course, the more parameters required for a component, the more time it takes to make a part. Let's face it - the formatting is never consistent unless someone follows a company specification meticulously.

Altium introduced the concept of "part choices" some time ago. On the surface, a part choice is just a "super parameter" that has links to datasheets and Octopart; therefore, it can flood the component with parameters. However, it can significantly increase the speed of component creation if we rethink the purposes of parameters.

In this webinar:

• Understand the primary purposes of parameters in a component
  

• What parameters are REALLY needed? (for those of you who wish to keep to "old school" methods)
  

• How Part Choices work
  

• How Part Choices decouple the purposes of parameters in a component
  

• Limitations of Part Choices
  

Q&A from Webinar

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Linking Altium DbLink to Excel

In this video, we go through linking a database (in Excel) to a DbLib file in Altium Designer 20. This example addresses multiple footprints and library paths.

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DbLink Demystified

Tucked away in the File> New> Libraries sub-menu of Altium Designer is a mysterious Database Link file (.DbLink). It is a much-underutilized feature that can significantly benefit those with a company database and have little or no permission to use it directly in the PCB design process. With the proper setup, DbLink can update the parametric data of existing components in the schematic with an external database.

In this video, we will discuss:

• The differences between the DbLib and the DbLink.
  

• How Altium Designer matches components with database information
  

• How to make use of the DbLink file
  

This is a "must-see" for anyone needing to access the company database for its information, design a flexible library for SPICE simulation work, or use SOLIDWORKS PCB.

Q&A from Webinar

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Database library flows... that do not send you up the creek

Vault, CIS, Arena, Agile, PLM, SQL, Access, Excel...

Regardless of what you call it or from whom you bought it, the heart of all component library management systems is a database. In this webinar, we will explore the concept and flow of a database.

We will focus on the most critical factor in successfully implementing a database - the database's component entry point.

We will use the L9 database management solution to provide insight as we take this journey through a component database library.

You must watch this video if you are looking for ways to improve your existing library configuration or need a better understanding of component library databases. It will be time well spent!

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One Size Fits All?

Actively involved in the business of restoring component libraries, we came across an interesting issue regarding the reuse of footprints. One benefit of standard package types is that it allows us to reuse footprints. There are standards by JEDEC and IPC that are carefully followed, right?

In our quest to understand what specs call the shots, we realized this goes way beyond industry specifications. The results were eye-opening for us, and we want to share our findings with you.

In this webinar:

• Briefly define the purpose of JEDEC and IPC and why it matters in our footprints
  

• Discuss the evolution of the specifications that drive the footprint dimensioning
  

• Look at various angles of approach when creating or reusing footprints
  

This video discusses why blind faith in IPC standards, manufacturing datasheets, and standard footprint types is not advised. Unfortunately, this puts a lot of people in a "damned if you do, damned if you don't" situation. If footprints are of great concern, one recommendation is to draw the footprint based on the component itself. This could be done either through 3D rendering, which should be based on the maximum material, or by measuring the physical component itself. This is what is used at the assembly plant JLCPCB. Robert Feranec has a video that shows this process. Granted, this would be for a huge company or a company concerned about reliability, but similar concepts can be employed at smaller companies.

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Advanced PCB Footprint Creation Techniques

Most footprints you need to make in Altium Designer can be created using the PCB wizard or taking advantage of footprint symmetry. However, some footprints are unusual in shape and need a different design approach. In this webinar, we will explore:

• The capacitive touch library provided in Altium Designer
  

• Using DXF/DWG files as molds for a footprint
  

• Using polygon pours to create regions that can be used for footprint pads
  

• Using a script when an algorithm-based footprint must be created
  

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Leaving a Lasting Imprint (or in this case, footprint)

Where symbols are all about information in a dimensionless schematic, footprints are about the real-world component in a PCB layout. All too often, it is a footprint that causes the respin of a board.

This month, we will work through several footprint examples, surface mount, and thru-hole. Also, we will cover:

• Tips and tricks when creating unusual pads
  

• Demo the new Via Pad library introduced in AD15
  

• Provide some insight about tolerances
  

• Demonstrate some of the lesser-known, but very practical features
  

Note that we will not discuss the footprint wizards in Altium Designer. These have been covered in other videos.

Q&A's from Webinar

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Symbol Libraries - Setup for Success

As you may have found with Altium Designer, the schematic symbol editor provides several options that allow users to customize their symbols highly; however, maintaining this look and feel can be tedious, especially when creating components manually.

True, Altium does have some methods that provide 'power steering' to the effort; however, it's a matter of knowing what and where they are in many cases. More so, taking advantage of "storage" features that have been in the tool for years yet are significantly underutilized.

Join us as we walk you through the creation of a typical symbol in an untypical way.

Q&A's from Webinar

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Libraries Built to Last

Component libraries represent a huge accumulated investment in the design content underpinning every electronic assembly you create. But with many different library management strategies, how do you decide which strategy best suits your organization so that the components and library structure you create today have lasting value?

In this video, we'll examine the common errors made when a library is first being developed, and more importantly, we'll outline the various strategies you can take to ensure that your library infrastructure can grow as your organizational needs evolve. This webinar will help ensure your libraries are built to last by keeping this clear picture of the end in mind.

What you will learn:

• Different library strategies and their implications
  

• How to choose the correct library strategy for your organization
  

• Best-practice component management techniques for each strategy
  

Who should attend?

• Engineering managers
  

• Designers
  

• Component Librarians
  

• Component Procurers
  

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Fundamentals of Library Structure - Part 1

Libraries can play a significant factor in design process efficiency.

When a good library is in place:

• Knowledge of a component is captured and shared by all design team members.
  

• The generation of the Bill of Material is automated.
  

• The look and feel of the company's schematics and PCBs are uniform, professional, and organized.
  

Undoubtedly, every designer wants a sound library; however, the big question is, "What's necessary to make a good library?" This webinar series will introduce the necessary building blocks to create a library structure that can help your organization improve its workflow.

This tool-neutral video will focus on the structure of the library:

• The data necessary for a library and its purpose
  

• The necessity of good description fields and what data should be provided
  

• The parameters necessity and their formatting
  

Q&A's from Webinar

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A Tour of Altium Provided Libraries - Part 2

Libraries can play a significant factor in design process efficiency.

When a good library is in place:

• Knowledge of a component is captured and shared by all design team members.
  

• The generation of the Bill of Material is automated.
  

• The look and feel of the company's schematics and PCBs are consistent, professional, and organized.
  

Undoubtedly, every designer wants a sound library; however, the big question is, "What's necessary to make a good library?" This webinar series will introduce the necessary building blocks to create a library structure that can help your organization improve its workflow.

This video will briefly walk you through all of the libraries that Altium Designer offers:

• Schematic Libraries
  

• PCB Libraries
  

• Integrated Libraries
  

• Database Libraries
  

• SVN Database Libraries
  

• Component Libraries and their association with Vault
  

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DFM Library Example Download

We decided to pull together a library example to help demonstrate the concepts during the creation process for our recent webinar on DFM library considerations. They say a picture is worth a thousand words, so we decided that a good library example should be worth a handful of specifications...

The library contains 34 components of various types, from discrete components to mechanical hardware. All components have been placed on the schematic and their corresponding footprints on a PCB layout sheet to allow you to see the library results when the information is consistent. Also, we wish to highlight the following:

Symbol Library:

• Method of handling the power on discrete logic gates
  

• An method for naming symbols
  

• A method for description information
  

• Key Static parameters
  

• Visibility and order of certain parameters for schematic display
  

Footprint Library:

• Etched components such as an inductor
  

• Courtyard for all footprints
  

• Assembly layer information for all footprints
  

• Thermal pads designed to avoid Via-In-Pad
  

Download Library 6MB

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Library Migration Example with Concord Pro, Nexus, or Altium 365

To see how we migrate components, check out this video. We use a temporary Excel-based database library, allowing us better control the parameters and model links during the migration process.

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Symbol Naming Conventions - Connectors

Throughout 2023, we at Nine Dot Connects dove deep into the naming conventions of symbols. We are excited to share what we have learned through our experiences. This webinar is the first in a series of webinars related to symbol naming conventions and will specifically cover connectors.

In this webinar, you will learn naming conventions for:

• Generic Connectors
  

• Coaxial
  

• DB Connectors
  

• Specific Protocol (USB, HDMI, etc.)
  

• Custom Company Connectors
  

Along the way, we will point out interesting antidotes and "gotchas" we learned the hard way so that you don't have to.

In this webinar, we explain the use of the J-designator (as opposed to the P-designator). Our explanation is applicable to most industries. However, it was brought to our attention that the US Military has specific definitions of the J and P designators. Plugs (P) are defined as connectors having pins, while sockets (J) are defined as connectors having holes. This is true regardless of whether they are mounted or on the end of a cable.

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