Stanford SSI Wiki - User contributions [en]

Altium Schematics and Footprints Guidelines

2024-04-01T03:41:15Z

Samchen2: Added more info from PCB design feedback for Phoenix

([[:Category:Altium|Category: Altium]]) If you're looking at this right now, you have probably finished the design process of your PCB and picked out all the parts/components you need. If yes, it is highly recommended to make sure you also have schematics and footprints associated with every part before moving on with reading. If not, you should refer to [[The Art of PCB Design]] page before coming back.

=== PCB Terminology ===

* PCB: Printed Circuit Board.

==== Schematics Terminology ====

* Symbol: the representation of an electrical component in the schematic file.
* Net: Any wire that connects to a node. In Altium, the name of the net is the combination of the index of the block (chip) and the component it connects to.
* Tag: Yellow-colored arrow-shaped items in the schematics file. From a separate sheet, the input (inward pointing) tag imports the net defined by the name of the net indicated in the tag. There are also output and bidirectional tags.
* Harness: a group of nets connected to the same terminal. In GPIO/SPI/UART/I2C serial communication methods, the TX and RX data lines will often be grouped by a harness for clarity.

==== Footprints Terminology ====

* Footprint: the representation of an electrical component in the PCB file. It also indicates the location of an electrical component, and you will see it on the manufactured PCB.
* Trace: the copper wires that connect different electrical components on the PCB.
* Via: A hole in the PCB that electrically connects through the board. The copper conductive part is inside the PCB. This moves the copper track to another layer in the PCB and prevent two nets from overlapping on the same layer.
* Pads: metal regions needed to electrically connect components on the board with the inner traces and wirings.
* Surface-mount pads: pads that only exist on the surface of a layer. They do not cut through the board. Used for surface-mount devices/technology (SMD/SMT). Usually harder for soldering but required for most chips and smaller electrical components.
* Through-hole pads: pads that cut through the board. Used for through-hole technology (THT). Usually easier for soldering.

=== '''Symbols and Footprints''' ===

* <span class="s1"></span>When picking/editing symbols, make sure the pad numbers in the symbol match the pad numbers in the corresponding footprints.
* <span class="s1"></span>It is best if a symbol corresponding to a footprint can resemble the footprint as closely as possible. This can provide more clarity when trying to assemble the board.

=== Altium Schematics (SchDoc) ===

* Designing the schematics means you will wire up the necessary electrical components that make your PCB board function electrically. You should refer to the datasheets of different parts to see the additional components you might need.
* The Altium schematic sheet of a completed board shows a block diagram with all the electrical components of the board. Each block represents a chip and has a detailed sheet associated with it.
** In KiCAD, this organization can be done by separating the schematics sheet into sections separated by lines or rectangle borders. Labeling different sections can also help with clarity.
* If you are confused about the functions of components shown in a schematic file, [https://www.khanacademy.org/science/electrical-engineering Khan Academy] can be a great resource for understanding electrical components and what they are used for.
* When the schematic is done, Altium will generate a netlist and import it to the PCB document. You will see all the nets turned into tracks on the PCB, which size can be customized.
** In the Schematic window, go to Design → Update PCB. You can see what parts in the schematic are not on the PCB (They should!). Once you have confirmed everything, click on Execute Changes to update the PCB file (PcbDoc).
** To find where the schematic of a missing part is, use the Find tool (Ctrl + F) and type in the part name.

=== Altium PCB (PcbDoc) ===
This is when we switch from designing the circuit to laying out the PCB itself, i.e. planning out the physical locations of each part and component.

==== Layers in Altium ====

* The PCB can have many copper layers that supply power to different components running on different voltages. They are called power layers/planes.
** In KiCAD, to create a power layer supplied by a surface-mount pad, you need to connect the pad to a via If the layer is supplied with a through-hole pad, there's no need for a separate via.
** Note that traces cutting through the power layer can slow down the movement of electrical charges because a longer path might be needed to travel from one pad to another. Thus, even with a power layer, it is best to leave an open, straight-line path between the pad supplying power and the pad receiving power.
* The transparent function in Altium will show two sides of every layer at the same time, which can be confusing at first and will take time to get used to.
* By default, all components on the same page in the schematic document will be in the same “room,” and you can move all the components together in that room.
** Rooms will allow a repeated circuit to be dealt with more quickly. For instance, if you want to have the same circuit repeated 10 times, having the circuit organized in a "room" will make editing the components easier.
** If you don't find this convenient, you can disable this in Altium settings.

==== Wiring Guidelines ====

* Make wire traces/new vias/new layers to finish all connections.
* For higher power/voltage data/power lines, it is recommended to use thicker traces.
* Avoid 90° traces due to high likelihood of EMI (electromagnetic interference).
* No traces can go through a via.
* Make sure the via on one layer is not on top of a via in another layer (or else undesired electrical connections may occur).
* A mechanical hole for mounting certain big components (like battery holders) cannot interfere with any vias or traces, or else an electrical connection cannot be made.
* Select the layer you’re working on with tabs at the bottom of the window for easier selection of traces/components.
* Blind vias (vias that do not cut through the entire board) can increase the cost of manufacturing and are sometimes less reliable (more prone to cracking). It is advised to use through vias (vias that cuts through the entire board) whenever possible.

After all the checks are done, a 3D model will be generated, and all the information can be sent to a fabrication company.

=== Authors' Note ===
This page is written on January 18, 2024 by [https://ssi-teams.slack.com/team/U045V0EE46Q Sam Chen] and [https://ssi-teams.slack.com/team/U04484CR1SQ Abelle Jayadinata] based on the materials covered in the [https://docs.google.com/document/d/14Ilml3RbP6zr4GWvh4mAetntX6BX1ORxpdkTMpOlbTM/edit?usp=sharing Winter 2024 Altium PCB Workshops] hosted by [https://ssi-teams.slack.com/team/U02F79U8A11 Evelyn Nutt]. It is updated on March 31, 2024 to include more detailed information from PCB design feedback. We thank [https://ssi-teams.slack.com/team/U02F79U8A11 Evelyn Nutt] and [https://ssi-teams.slack.com/team/U0602L5Q31B Ethan Brinser] for their expertise and knowledge, which made the writing of this page possible.

<nowiki>[[:Category:Altium]]</nowiki>

Altium Schematics and Footprints Guidelines

2024-04-01T03:37:41Z

Samchen2: Added pad descriptions

([[:Category:Altium|Category: Altium]]) If you're looking at this right now, you have probably finished the design process of your PCB and picked out all the parts/components you need. If yes, it is highly recommended to make sure you also have schematics and footprints associated with every part before moving on with reading. If not, you should refer to [[The Art of PCB Design]] page before coming back.

=== PCB Terminology ===

* PCB: Printed Circuit Board.

==== Schematics Terminology ====

* Symbol: the representation of an electrical component in the schematic file.
* Net: Any wire that connects to a node. In Altium, the name of the net is the combination of the index of the block (chip) and the component it connects to.
* Tag: Yellow-colored arrow-shaped items in the schematics file. From a separate sheet, the input (inward pointing) tag imports the net defined by the name of the net indicated in the tag. There are also output and bidirectional tags.
* Harness: a group of nets connected to the same terminal. In GPIO/SPI/UART/I2C serial communication methods, the TX and RX data lines will often be grouped by a harness for clarity.

==== Footprints Terminology ====

* Footprint: the representation of an electrical component in the PCB file. It also indicates the location of an electrical component, and you will see it on the manufactured PCB.
* Trace: the copper wires that connect different electrical components on the PCB.
* Via: A hole in the PCB that electrically connects through the board. The copper conductive part is inside the PCB. This moves the copper track to another layer in the PCB and prevent two nets from overlapping on the same layer.
* Pads: metal regions needed to electrically connect components on the board with the inner traces and wirings.
* Surface-mount pads: pads that only exist on the surface of a layer. They do not cut through the board. Used for surface-mount devices/technology (SMD/SMT). Usually harder for soldering but required for most chips and smaller electrical components.
* Through-hole pads: pads that cut through the board. Used for through-hole technology (THT). Usually easier for soldering.

=== Altium Schematics (SchDoc) ===

* Designing the schematics means you will wire up the necessary electrical components that make your PCB board function electrically. You should refer to the datasheets of different parts to see the additional components you might need.
* The Altium schematic sheet of a completed board shows a block diagram with all the electrical components of the board. Each block represents a chip and has a detailed sheet associated with it.
* If you are confused about the functions of components shown in a schematic file, [https://www.khanacademy.org/science/electrical-engineering Khan Academy] can be a great resource for understanding electrical components and what they are used for.
* When the schematic is done, Altium will generate a netlist and import it to the PCB document. You will see all the nets turned into tracks on the PCB, which size can be customized.
** In the Schematic window, go to Design → Update PCB. You can see what parts in the schematic are not on the PCB (They should!). Once you have confirmed everything, click on Execute Changes to update the PCB file (PcbDoc).
** To find where the schematic of a missing part is, use the Find tool (Ctrl + F) and type in the part name.

=== Altium Footprints & PCB (PcbDoc) ===
This is when we switch from designing the circuit to laying out the PCB itself, i.e. planning out the physical locations of each part and component.

==== Layers in Altium ====

* The PCB can have many copper layers that supply power to different components running on different voltages.
* The transparent function in Altium will show two sides of every layer at the same time, which can be confusing at first and will take time to get used to.
* By default, all components on the same page in the schematic document will be in the same “room,” and you can move all the components together in that room.
** Rooms will allow a repeated circuit to be dealt with more quickly. For instance, if you want to have the same circuit repeated 10 times, having the circuit organized in a "room" will make editing the components easier.
** If you don't find this convenient, you can disable this in Altium settings.

==== Wiring Guidelines ====

* Make wire traces/new vias/new layers to finish all connections.
* For higher power/voltage data/power lines, it is recommended to use thicker traces.
* Avoid 90° traces due to high likelihood of EMI (electromagnetic interference).
* No traces can go through a via.
* Make sure the via on one layer is not on top of a via in another layer (or else undesired electrical connections may occur).
* A mechanical hole for mounting certain big components (like battery holders) cannot interfere with any vias or traces, or else an electrical connection cannot be made.
* Select the layer you’re working on with tabs at the bottom of the window for easier selection of traces/components.

After all the checks are done, a 3D model will be generated, and all the information can be sent to a fabrication company.

=== Authors' Note ===
This page is written on January 18, 2024 by [https://ssi-teams.slack.com/team/U045V0EE46Q Sam Chen] and [https://ssi-teams.slack.com/team/U04484CR1SQ Abelle Jayadinata] based on the materials covered in the [https://docs.google.com/document/d/14Ilml3RbP6zr4GWvh4mAetntX6BX1ORxpdkTMpOlbTM/edit?usp=sharing Winter 2024 Altium PCB Workshops] hosted by [https://ssi-teams.slack.com/team/U02F79U8A11 Evelyn Nutt]. We thank [https://ssi-teams.slack.com/team/U02F79U8A11 Evelyn Nutt] and [https://ssi-teams.slack.com/team/U0602L5Q31B Ethan Brinser] for their expertise and knowledge, which made the writing of this page possible.

<nowiki>[[:Category:Altium]]</nowiki>

Getting Started with OpenRocket

2024-01-19T07:24:06Z

Samchen2: Specified date video is made

Here is a ~45 minute [https://drive.google.com/file/d/140SL41aU0mnvMlyrwaj-lCk2SvKMMzHN/view?usp=sharing OpenRocket tutorial] by [https://ssi-teams.slack.com/team/U02G2DY4LEQ Matthew Nguyen] for you to get started. Please sign into your Stanford account and make sure you have access to the SSI drive. Note that this video is made on October 31, 2023, and your version of OpenRocket may be different from Matthew's. Enjoy :)

Getting Started with OpenRocket

2024-01-19T07:21:20Z

Samchen2: Added OpenRocket tutorial video made by Matthew.

Altium Schematics and Footprints Guidelines

2024-01-19T07:16:45Z

Samchen2:

([[:Category:Altium|Category: Altium]]) If you're looking at this right now, you have probably finished the design process of your PCB and picked out all the parts/components you need. If yes, it is highly recommended to make sure you also have schematics and footprints associated with every part before moving on with reading. If not, you should refer to [[The Art of PCB Design]] page before coming back.

=== PCB Terminology ===

* PCB: Printed Circuit Board.

==== Schematics Terminology ====

* Symbol: the representation of an electrical component in the schematic file.
* Net: Any wire that connects to a node. In Altium, the name of the net is the combination of the index of the block (chip) and the component it connects to.
* Tag: Yellow-colored arrow-shaped items in the schematics file. From a separate sheet, the input (inward pointing) tag imports the net defined by the name of the net indicated in the tag. There are also output and bidirectional tags.
* Harness: a group of nets connected to the same terminal. In GPIO/SPI/UART/I2C serial communication methods, the TX and RX data lines will often be grouped by a harness for clarity.

==== Footprints Terminology ====

* Footprint: the representation of an electrical component in the PCB file. It also indicates the location of an electrical component, and you will see it on the manufactured PCB.
* Trace: the copper wires that connect different electrical components on the PCB.
* Via: A hole in the PCB that electrically connects through the board. The copper conductive part is inside the PCB. This moves the copper track to another layer in the PCB and prevent two nets from overlapping on the same layer.

=== Altium Schematics (SchDoc) ===

* Designing the schematics means you will wire up the necessary electrical components that make your PCB board function electrically. You should refer to the datasheets of different parts to see the additional components you might need.
* The Altium schematic sheet of a completed board shows a block diagram with all the electrical components of the board. Each block represents a chip and has a detailed sheet associated with it.
* If you are confused about the functions of components shown in a schematic file, [https://www.khanacademy.org/science/electrical-engineering Khan Academy] can be a great resource for understanding electrical components and what they are used for.
* When the schematic is done, Altium will generate a netlist and import it to the PCB document. You will see all the nets turned into tracks on the PCB, which size can be customized.
** In the Schematic window, go to Design → Update PCB. You can see what parts in the schematic are not on the PCB (They should!). Once you have confirmed everything, click on Execute Changes to update the PCB file (PcbDoc).
** To find where the schematic of a missing part is, use the Find tool (Ctrl + F) and type in the part name.

=== Altium Footprints & PCB (PcbDoc) ===
This is when we switch from designing the circuit to laying out the PCB itself, i.e. planning out the physical locations of each part and component.

==== Layers in Altium ====

* The PCB can have many copper layers that supply power to different components running on different voltages.
* The transparent function in Altium will show two sides of every layer at the same time, which can be confusing at first and will take time to get used to.
* By default, all components on the same page in the schematic document will be in the same “room,” and you can move all the components together in that room.
** Rooms will allow a repeated circuit to be dealt with more quickly. For instance, if you want to have the same circuit repeated 10 times, having the circuit organized in a "room" will make editing the components easier.
** If you don't find this convenient, you can disable this in Altium settings.

==== Wiring Guidelines ====

* Make wire traces/new vias/new layers to finish all connections.
* For higher power/voltage data/power lines, it is recommended to use thicker traces.
* Avoid 90° traces due to high likelihood of EMI (electromagnetic interference).
* No traces can go through a via.
* Make sure the via on one layer is not on top of a via in another layer (or else undesired electrical connections may occur).
* A mechanical hole for mounting certain big components (like battery holders) cannot interfere with any vias or traces, or else an electrical connection cannot be made.
* Select the layer you’re working on with tabs at the bottom of the window for easier selection of traces/components.

After all the checks are done, a 3D model will be generated, and all the information can be sent to a fabrication company.

=== Authors' Note ===
This page is written on January 18, 2024 by [https://ssi-teams.slack.com/team/U045V0EE46Q Sam Chen] and [https://ssi-teams.slack.com/team/U04484CR1SQ Abelle Jayadinata] based on the materials covered in the [https://docs.google.com/document/d/14Ilml3RbP6zr4GWvh4mAetntX6BX1ORxpdkTMpOlbTM/edit?usp=sharing Winter 2024 Altium PCB Workshops] hosted by [https://ssi-teams.slack.com/team/U02F79U8A11 Evelyn Nutt]. We thank [https://ssi-teams.slack.com/team/U02F79U8A11 Evelyn Nutt] and [https://ssi-teams.slack.com/team/U0602L5Q31B Ethan Brinser] for their expertise and knowledge, which made the writing of this page possible.

<nowiki>[[:Category:Altium]]</nowiki>

Altium Schematics and Footprints Guidelines

2024-01-19T07:16:00Z

Samchen2:

([[:Category:Altium|Category: Altium]]) If you're looking at this right now, you have probably finished the design process of your PCB and picked out all the parts/components you need. If yes, it is highly recommended to make sure you also have schematics and footprints associated with every part before moving on with reading. If not, you should refer to [[The Art of PCB Design]] page before coming back.

=== PCB Terminology ===

* PCB: Printed Circuit Board.

==== Schematics Terminology ====

* Symbol: the representation of an electrical component in the schematic file.
* Net: Any wire that connects to a node. In Altium, the name of the net is the combination of the index of the block (chip) and the component it connects to.
* Tag: Yellow-colored arrow-shaped items in the schematics file. From a separate sheet, the input (inward pointing) tag imports the net defined by the name of the net indicated in the tag. There are also output and bidirectional tags.
* Harness: a group of nets connected to the same terminal. In GPIO/SPI/UART/I2C serial communication methods, the TX and RX data lines will often be grouped by a harness for clarity.

==== Footprints Terminology ====

* Footprint: the representation of an electrical component in the PCB file. It also indicates the location of an electrical component, and you will see it on the manufactured PCB.
* Trace: the copper wires that connect different electrical components on the PCB.
* Via: A hole in the PCB that electrically connects through the board. The copper conductive part is inside the PCB. This moves the copper track to another layer in the PCB and prevent two nets from overlapping on the same layer.

=== Altium Schematics (SchDoc) ===

* Designing the schematics means you will wire up the necessary electrical components that make your PCB board function electrically. You should refer to the datasheets of different parts to see the additional components you might need.
* The Altium schematic sheet of a completed board shows a block diagram with all the electrical components of the board. Each block represents a chip and has a detailed sheet associated with it.
* If you are confused about the functions of components shown in a schematic file, [https://www.khanacademy.org/science/electrical-engineering Khan Academy] can be a great resource for understanding electrical components and what they are used for.
* When the schematic is done, Altium will generate a netlist and import it to the PCB document. You will see all the nets turned into tracks on the PCB, which size can be customized.
** In the Schematic window, go to Design → Update PCB. You can see what parts in the schematic are not on the PCB (They should!). Once you have confirmed everything, click on Execute Changes to update the PCB file (PcbDoc).
** To find where the schematic of a missing part is, use the Find tool (Ctrl + F) and type in the part name.

=== Altium Footprints & PCB (PcbDoc) ===
This is when we switch from designing the circuit to laying out the PCB itself, i.e. planning out the physical locations of each part and component.

==== Layers in Altium ====

* The PCB can have many copper layers that supply power to different components running on different voltages.
* The transparent function in Altium will show two sides of every layer at the same time, which can be confusing at first and will take time to get used to.
* By default, all components on the same page in the schematic document will be in the same “room,” and you can move all the components together in that room.
** Rooms will allow a repeated circuit to be dealt with more quickly. For instance, if you want to have the same circuit repeated 10 times, having the circuit organized in a "room" will make editing the components easier.
** If you don't find this convenient, you can disable this in Altium settings.

==== Wiring Guidelines ====

* Make wire traces/new vias/new layers to finish all connections.
* For higher power/voltage data/power lines, it is recommended to use thicker traces.
* Avoid 90° traces due to high likelihood of EMI (electromagnetic interference).
* No traces can go through a via.
* Make sure the via on one layer is not on top of a via in another layer (or else undesired electrical connections may occur).
* A mechanical hole for mounting certain big components (like battery holders) cannot interfere with any vias or traces, or else an electrical connection cannot be made.
* Select the layer you’re working on with tabs at the bottom of the window for easier selection of traces/components.

After all the checks are done, a 3D model will be generated, and all the information can be sent to a fabrication company.

=== Authors' Note ===
This page is written on January 18, 2024 by [https://ssi-teams.slack.com/team/U045V0EE46Q Sam Chen] and [https://ssi-teams.slack.com/team/U04484CR1SQ Abelle Jayadinata] based on the materials covered in the [https://docs.google.com/document/d/14Ilml3RbP6zr4GWvh4mAetntX6BX1ORxpdkTMpOlbTM/edit?usp=sharing Winter 2024 Altium PCB Workshops] hosted by [https://ssi-teams.slack.com/team/U02F79U8A11 Evelyn Nutt]. We thank [https://ssi-teams.slack.com/team/U02F79U8A11 Evelyn Nutt] and [https://ssi-teams.slack.com/team/U0602L5Q31B Ethan Brinser] for their expertise and knowledge, which made the writing of this page possible.

<nowiki>[[:Category: Altium]]</nowiki>

Altium Schematics and Footprints Guidelines

2024-01-19T07:15:24Z

Samchen2:

([[:Category:Altium|Category: Altium]]) If you're looking at this right now, you have probably finished the design process of your PCB and picked out all the parts/components you need. If yes, it is highly recommended to make sure you also have schematics and footprints associated with every part before moving on with reading. If not, you should refer to [[The Art of PCB Design]] page before coming back.

=== PCB Terminology ===

* PCB: Printed Circuit Board.

==== Schematics Terminology ====

* Symbol: the representation of an electrical component in the schematic file.
* Net: Any wire that connects to a node. In Altium, the name of the net is the combination of the index of the block (chip) and the component it connects to.
* Tag: Yellow-colored arrow-shaped items in the schematics file. From a separate sheet, the input (inward pointing) tag imports the net defined by the name of the net indicated in the tag. There are also output and bidirectional tags.
* Harness: a group of nets connected to the same terminal. In GPIO/SPI/UART/I2C serial communication methods, the TX and RX data lines will often be grouped by a harness for clarity.

==== Footprints Terminology ====

* Footprint: the representation of an electrical component in the PCB file. It also indicates the location of an electrical component, and you will see it on the manufactured PCB.
* Trace: the copper wires that connect different electrical components on the PCB.
* Via: A hole in the PCB that electrically connects through the board. The copper conductive part is inside the PCB. This moves the copper track to another layer in the PCB and prevent two nets from overlapping on the same layer.

=== Altium Schematics (SchDoc) ===

* Designing the schematics means you will wire up the necessary electrical components that make your PCB board function electrically. You should refer to the datasheets of different parts to see the additional components you might need.
* The Altium schematic sheet of a completed board shows a block diagram with all the electrical components of the board. Each block represents a chip and has a detailed sheet associated with it.
* If you are confused about the functions of components shown in a schematic file, [https://www.khanacademy.org/science/electrical-engineering Khan Academy] can be a great resource for understanding electrical components and what they are used for.
* When the schematic is done, Altium will generate a netlist and import it to the PCB document. You will see all the nets turned into tracks on the PCB, which size can be customized.
** In the Schematic window, go to Design → Update PCB. You can see what parts in the schematic are not on the PCB (They should!). Once you have confirmed everything, click on Execute Changes to update the PCB file (PcbDoc).
** To find where the schematic of a missing part is, use the Find tool (Ctrl + F) and type in the part name.

=== Altium Footprints & PCB (PcbDoc) ===
This is when we switch from designing the circuit to laying out the PCB itself, i.e. planning out the physical locations of each part and component.

==== Layers in Altium ====

* The PCB can have many copper layers that supply power to different components running on different voltages.
* The transparent function in Altium will show two sides of every layer at the same time, which can be confusing at first and will take time to get used to.
* By default, all components on the same page in the schematic document will be in the same “room,” and you can move all the components together in that room.
** Rooms will allow a repeated circuit to be dealt with more quickly. For instance, if you want to have the same circuit repeated 10 times, having the circuit organized in a "room" will make editing the components easier.
** If you don't find this convenient, you can disable this in Altium settings.

==== Wiring Guidelines ====

* Make wire traces/new vias/new layers to finish all connections.
* For higher power/voltage data/power lines, it is recommended to use thicker traces.
* Avoid 90° traces due to high likelihood of EMI (electromagnetic interference).
* No traces can go through a via.
* Make sure the via on one layer is not on top of a via in another layer (or else undesired electrical connections may occur).
* A mechanical hole for mounting certain big components (like battery holders) cannot interfere with any vias or traces, or else an electrical connection cannot be made.
* Select the layer you’re working on with tabs at the bottom of the window for easier selection of traces/components.

After all the checks are done, a 3D model will be generated, and all the information can be sent to a fabrication company.

=== Authors' Note ===
This page is written on January 18, 2024 by [https://ssi-teams.slack.com/team/U045V0EE46Q Sam Chen] and [https://ssi-teams.slack.com/team/U04484CR1SQ Abelle Jayadinata] based on the materials covered in the [https://docs.google.com/document/d/14Ilml3RbP6zr4GWvh4mAetntX6BX1ORxpdkTMpOlbTM/edit?usp=sharing Winter 2024 Altium PCB Workshops] hosted by [https://ssi-teams.slack.com/team/U02F79U8A11 Evelyn Nutt]. We thank [https://ssi-teams.slack.com/team/U02F79U8A11 Evelyn Nutt] and [https://ssi-teams.slack.com/team/U0602L5Q31B Ethan Brinser] for their expertise and knowledge, which made the writing of this page possible.

<nowiki>[[Category: Altium]]</nowiki>

Altium Schematics and Footprints Guidelines

2024-01-19T07:14:36Z

Samchen2:

([[:Category:Altium|Category: Altium]]) If you're looking at this right now, you have probably finished the design process of your PCB and picked out all the parts/components you need. If yes, it is highly recommended to make sure you also have schematics and footprints associated with every part before moving on with reading. If not, you should refer to [[The Art of PCB Design]] page before coming back.

=== PCB Terminology ===

* PCB: Printed Circuit Board.

==== Schematics Terminology ====

* Symbol: the representation of an electrical component in the schematic file.
* Net: Any wire that connects to a node. In Altium, the name of the net is the combination of the index of the block (chip) and the component it connects to.
* Tag: Yellow-colored arrow-shaped items in the schematics file. From a separate sheet, the input (inward pointing) tag imports the net defined by the name of the net indicated in the tag. There are also output and bidirectional tags.
* Harness: a group of nets connected to the same terminal. In GPIO/SPI/UART/I2C serial communication methods, the TX and RX data lines will often be grouped by a harness for clarity.

==== Footprints Terminology ====

* Footprint: the representation of an electrical component in the PCB file. It also indicates the location of an electrical component, and you will see it on the manufactured PCB.
* Trace: the copper wires that connect different electrical components on the PCB.
* Via: A hole in the PCB that electrically connects through the board. The copper conductive part is inside the PCB. This moves the copper track to another layer in the PCB and prevent two nets from overlapping on the same layer.

=== Altium Schematics (SchDoc) ===

* Designing the schematics means you will wire up the necessary electrical components that make your PCB board function electrically. You should refer to the datasheets of different parts to see the additional components you might need.
* The Altium schematic sheet of a completed board shows a block diagram with all the electrical components of the board. Each block represents a chip and has a detailed sheet associated with it.
* If you are confused about the functions of components shown in a schematic file, [https://www.khanacademy.org/science/electrical-engineering Khan Academy] can be a great resource for understanding electrical components and what they are used for.
* When the schematic is done, Altium will generate a netlist and import it to the PCB document. You will see all the nets turned into tracks on the PCB, which size can be customized.
** In the Schematic window, go to Design → Update PCB. You can see what parts in the schematic are not on the PCB (They should!). Once you have confirmed everything, click on Execute Changes to update the PCB file (PcbDoc).
** To find where the schematic of a missing part is, use the Find tool (Ctrl + F) and type in the part name.

=== Altium Footprints & PCB (PcbDoc) ===
This is when we switch from designing the circuit to laying out the PCB itself, i.e. planning out the physical locations of each part and component.

==== Layers in Altium ====

* The PCB can have many copper layers that supply power to different components running on different voltages.
* The transparent function in Altium will show two sides of every layer at the same time, which can be confusing at first and will take time to get used to.
* By default, all components on the same page in the schematic document will be in the same “room,” and you can move all the components together in that room.
** Rooms will allow a repeated circuit to be dealt with more quickly. For instance, if you want to have the same circuit repeated 10 times, having the circuit organized in a "room" will make editing the components easier.
** If you don't find this convenient, you can disable this in Altium settings.

==== Wiring Guidelines ====

* Make wire traces/new vias/new layers to finish all connections.
* For higher power/voltage data/power lines, it is recommended to use thicker traces.
* Avoid 90° traces due to high likelihood of EMI (electromagnetic interference).
* No traces can go through a via.
* Make sure the via on one layer is not on top of a via in another layer (or else undesired electrical connections may occur).
* A mechanical hole for mounting certain big components (like battery holders) cannot interfere with any vias or traces, or else an electrical connection cannot be made.
* Select the layer you’re working on with tabs at the bottom of the window for easier selection of traces/components.

After all the checks are done, a 3D model will be generated, and all the information can be sent to a fabrication company.

=== Authors' Note ===
This page is written on January 18, 2024 by [https://ssi-teams.slack.com/team/U045V0EE46Q Sam Chen] and [https://ssi-teams.slack.com/team/U04484CR1SQ Abelle Jayadinata] based on the materials covered in the [https://docs.google.com/document/d/14Ilml3RbP6zr4GWvh4mAetntX6BX1ORxpdkTMpOlbTM/edit?usp=sharing Winter 2024 Altium PCB Workshops] hosted by [https://ssi-teams.slack.com/team/U02F79U8A11 Evelyn Nutt]. We thank [https://ssi-teams.slack.com/team/U02F79U8A11 Evelyn Nutt] and [https://ssi-teams.slack.com/team/U0602L5Q31B Ethan Brinser] for their expertise and knowledge, which made the writing of this page possible.

<nowiki>[[Category:Altium]]</nowiki>

Altium Schematics and Footprints Guidelines

2024-01-19T07:12:47Z

Samchen2:

([[:Category:Altium|Category: Altium]]) If you're looking at this right now, you have probably finished the design process of your PCB and picked out all the parts/components you need. If yes, it is highly recommended to make sure you also have schematics and footprints associated with every part before moving on with reading. If not, you should refer to [[The Art of PCB Design]] page before coming back.

=== PCB Terminology ===

* PCB: Printed Circuit Board.

==== Schematics Terminology ====

* Symbol: the representation of an electrical component in the schematic file.
* Net: Any wire that connects to a node. In Altium, the name of the net is the combination of the index of the block (chip) and the component it connects to.
* Tag: Yellow-colored arrow-shaped items in the schematics file. From a separate sheet, the input (inward pointing) tag imports the net defined by the name of the net indicated in the tag. There are also output and bidirectional tags.
* Harness: a group of nets connected to the same terminal. In GPIO/SPI/UART/I2C serial communication methods, the TX and RX data lines will often be grouped by a harness for clarity.

==== Footprints Terminology ====

* Footprint: the representation of an electrical component in the PCB file. It also indicates the location of an electrical component, and you will see it on the manufactured PCB.
* Trace: the copper wires that connect different electrical components on the PCB.
* Via: A hole in the PCB that electrically connects through the board. The copper conductive part is inside the PCB. This moves the copper track to another layer in the PCB and prevent two nets from overlapping on the same layer.

=== Altium Schematics (SchDoc) ===

* Designing the schematics means you will wire up the necessary electrical components that make your PCB board function electrically. You should refer to the datasheets of different parts to see the additional components you might need.
* The Altium schematic sheet of a completed board shows a block diagram with all the electrical components of the board. Each block represents a chip and has a detailed sheet associated with it.
* If you are confused about the functions of components shown in a schematic file, [https://www.khanacademy.org/science/electrical-engineering Khan Academy] can be a great resource for understanding electrical components and what they are used for.
* When the schematic is done, Altium will generate a netlist and import it to the PCB document. You will see all the nets turned into tracks on the PCB, which size can be customized.
** In the Schematic window, go to Design → Update PCB. You can see what parts in the schematic are not on the PCB (They should!). Once you have confirmed everything, click on Execute Changes to update the PCB file (PcbDoc).
** To find where the schematic of a missing part is, use the Find tool (Ctrl + F) and type in the part name.

=== Altium Footprints & PCB (PcbDoc) ===
This is when we switch from designing the circuit to laying out the PCB itself, i.e. planning out the physical locations of each part and component.

==== Layers in Altium ====

* The PCB can have many copper layers that supply power to different components running on different voltages.
* The transparent function in Altium will show two sides of every layer at the same time, which can be confusing at first and will take time to get used to.
* By default, all components on the same page in the schematic document will be in the same “room,” and you can move all the components together in that room.
** Rooms will allow a repeated circuit to be dealt with more quickly. For instance, if you want to have the same circuit repeated 10 times, having the circuit organized in a "room" will make editing the components easier.
** If you don't find this convenient, you can disable this in Altium settings.

==== Wiring Guidelines ====

* Make wire traces/new vias/new layers to finish all connections.
* For higher power/voltage data/power lines, it is recommended to use thicker traces.
* Avoid 90° traces due to high likelihood of EMI (electromagnetic interference).
* No traces can go through a via.
* Make sure the via on one layer is not on top of a via in another layer (or else undesired electrical connections may occur).
* A mechanical hole for mounting certain big components (like battery holders) cannot interfere with any vias or traces, or else an electrical connection cannot be made.
* Select the layer you’re working on with tabs at the bottom of the window for easier selection of traces/components.

After all the checks are done, a 3D model will be generated, and all the information can be sent to a fabrication company.

=== Authors' Note ===
This page is written on January 18, 2024 by [https://ssi-teams.slack.com/team/U045V0EE46Q Sam Chen] and [https://ssi-teams.slack.com/team/U04484CR1SQ Abelle Jayadinata] based on the materials covered in the [https://docs.google.com/document/d/14Ilml3RbP6zr4GWvh4mAetntX6BX1ORxpdkTMpOlbTM/edit?usp=sharing Winter 2024 Altium PCB Workshops] hosted by [https://ssi-teams.slack.com/team/U02F79U8A11 Evelyn Nutt]. We thank [https://ssi-teams.slack.com/team/U02F79U8A11 Evelyn Nutt] and [https://ssi-teams.slack.com/team/U0602L5Q31B Ethan Brinser] for their expertise and knowledge, which made the writing of this page possible.

Category:Altium

2024-01-19T07:11:56Z

Samchen2:

Altium Designer (typically '''Altium''') is a [[printed circuit board|printed circuit board (PCB)]] design program, made by [http://altium.com Altium Limited]. Altium Ltd is a platinum-tier sponsor of SSI, having provided a number of licenses of Altium to SSI for the past two years.

Altium is well documented, and many questions can be readily answered through online searching - links from [https://www.altium.com/documentation/altium-designer techdocs.altium.com] are the official online documentation, and are usually quite helpful. The {{slack-channel|altium}} Slack channel is also a valuable resource for problems the TechDocs don't have a solution for, for asking about best practices, and for discussing group issues (ie. maintaining the SSI Altium part libraries). The intent of this wiki category is to provide guidance on how to set Altium up for working with SSI, important elements of the SSI PCB workflow, and general notes on PCB design.

;Getting Started
: [[How to Install and Configure Altium]]
: [https://techdocs.altium.com/display/ADOH/Tutorial+-+Getting+Started+with+PCB+Design Altium's "Getting Started" Tutorial]
;Using Altium
: [[Making Parts for PCB Libraries]]
: [[Tribal Altium Knowledge|Tribal Altium Knowledge (very old)]]
: [[The Art of PCB Design]]
: [[Altium Schematics and Footprints Guidelines]]
;Getting PCBs Manufactured
: [[Final PCB Error Checklist]]
: [[Releasing a Board for Manufacture]]

[[Category:Raccoonworks]]

The Art of PCB Design

2024-01-19T07:09:03Z

Samchen2: Linked new page in steps 3 and 4

[[Category:Altium]]
There are many useful tutorials on this wiki ([[:Category:Altium]]), covering everything from Altium Installation, to footprint design, to DFM. But it's possible to follow those tutorials exactly and still end up with very sketchy PCBs. The purpose of this guide is to help you become a better electrical engineer and PCB designer. Hopefully it will help you design PCBs that are aesthetically pleasing, functional and reliable.

== Step 0: Product Design ==
The most often skipped step in designing a PCB is the design itself. Most EE's don't take product design classes, but it's an important skill to develop. Putting together a comprehensive design will push you to answer the following questions:
* What are the functional requirements of my PCB?
* What are the major components you will need on your board to achieve that functionality?
* In what ways will these components be interconnected? (SPI, UART, I2C, CAN)
* How will power be managed on your PCB? How much power do you need, and where will it come from? How long do your batteries need to last, and what kind will you use?
* What physical and thermal requirements do you need to satisfy? Will there by high acceleration or low temperature? How will you test these factors?
* What shape/size does your PCB need to be? How will it be mounted?
* What things need to connect to your PCB? What kind of wires will you use? What kind of connectors? Will you be able to quickly integrate and de-integrate your PCB from the system?
* What failure modes could your board exhibit, and which could hurt mission success or pose a safety risk? How can you mitigate these risks in your board?
* In what ways could misuse/abuse of your board destroy it, and how can you add protections from the stupid behavior of your future self?
* How can I prototype different parts of my circuit on a breadboard with breakout boards to verify it works as intended?
* What code will run on this board, and how can software development done in parallel to PCB layout?
Because SSI is a large team with many projects and members, You should also consider the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extensibility Extensibility] of your design:
* How can your design leverage existing PCB schematics to speed up the design process?
* How can you use the flight heritage of existing circuits to reduce the chance of your system not working?
* Has any past project developed modularity that you can build upon?
* Can you add modularity to your design that future projects can build upon?
* Can your design be made more flexible or configurable for future missions?
The answers to some of these questions might be "no", but you should try to think about them.
Here are a few case studies of past SSI boards that were designed on paper

=== Valbal EE 9 ===
[https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ZqCeDwD2tvel5EY0Tf7ifroEml3FEVMDf8KcTDa47p0/edit ValBal EE 9.1 Changelist]

[https://docs.google.com/document/d/1qUs500_CiNvGZa_pNxVXRHfVZONEzjOnMHjTuYiBOjw/edit ValBal EE 9.1+ plans]

[https://docs.google.com/document/d/1bBLZtZPUD5KbMAy4ByeYykShZlYhj96Qz9vydWjgE5A/edit ValBal Payload Interface Specification]

=== SpaceSalmon Stack ===
[https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/10tnuvgWhj59NeUBxJNxlRW7EjcLI8pYms1Hf9A7qRLU/edit Fishy Business]

[https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1-VdcZ4H2OCiGasRVfo6jHaaTqtyZaqoEV8z7C4GdDbo/edit Board to Board Connections]

[https://docs.google.com/document/d/11-6qBFXdFuhDwf6qMIAIUr1ztXR1aTiMrxCtl4si8iQ/edit Hardware Overview]

=== Thunderguppy ===
[https://docs.google.com/document/d/1FlarsfEBXSJtyWvuBv_gb6-OZofqeSfMBd3gmK6JoQs/edit ThunderGuppy Battery Issue]

[https://docs.google.com/document/d/1hhX1bpbs2kfcCbvq6EctOQAsNXkiz7CeYOaI4Ki6hTQ/edit ThunderGuppy Initial Design]

[https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1MUmFg8R-3JiZXi5GyeJWyJ3OQy3XObGrAN3LtbTdxLI/edit ThunderGuppy Spec]

=== Buddy V3 ===
[https://docs.google.com/document/d/13fy2KAYhqTLVAPye0ETRxe1ajy-SXyLccdFxlEEXSSw/edit Buddy v3 Design]

== Step 1: Pick the Parts ==
This is the most arduous process of all. All components must have suitable ratings and must all communicate/interact with each other.

Some websites useful for finding parts and specifications of parts:

# [https://www.mouser.com/ Mouser Electronics]
# [https://www.digikey.com DigiKey]

Manufacturer sites for even tighter specifications and datasheets:

# [https://www.analog.com/en/index.html Analog Electronics]
# [https://www.ti.com/ Texas Instruments]
# [https://www.st.com/content/st com/en.html ST Microelectronics]

When picking parts, also make sure to look for evaluation boards, which are breakout boards for microcontrollers to test that their components work. [[/www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/stmicroelectronics/STM32F411E-DISCO/5131480|Example]]

== Step 2: Napkin Sketch ==

== Step 3: Schematics ==
See [[Altium Schematics and Footprints Guidelines]]

Schematic Design is the process of specifying the symbolic representation of your circuit in a format that both the computer and a human can understand.
* You should make your schematic clean enough that another human can read it. If no one else can read it, they won't be able to catch your mistakes
* You should make heavy use of existing schematics for past SSI projects, especially those you understand and have flight heritage
** If the schematic you are looking for is not available in Altium, they need to be imported or created. You can find the schematics of most components on product pages of the websites listed in Step 1.
* You should use a strict hierarchical schematic sheet tree, with sheets nested within other sheets to reduce complexity

== Step 4: Footprints ==
See [[Making Parts for PCB Libraries]]

See [[Altium Schematics and Footprints Guidelines]]
* If possible, design your circuit to use parts that have heritage, and have footprints in the library
* Take the time to track down 3D models for components, it will help prevent dumb ME issues later on

== Step 5: Layout Parts ==
Before you start laying out traces, try to get a rough layout of all your parts done. Traces can always be re-routed to other layers, but physical components can't be easily moved once placed. Keep in mind your mechanical design constraints. Make sure your switches and connectors are accessible at the edge of the board, etc.

== Step 6: Layout Traces ==
Laying out traces is not something that happens linearly, nor quickly. Computers can beat humans in Chess, and in Go, but no computer has ever reliably been better at PCB routing than a good human. It's best to tackle large or complex layout projects during uninterrupted time, when you can really really get into a Zen state. Big projects tend to get routed during breaks. You may have to revisit Step 3 above when you find the the way you were envisioning the traces being routed doesn't work out. This is fine. PCB design doesn't fall into the strategy of "rapid prototyping" yet, and so you're better off taking your time, getting everything neatly aligned.

== Step 7: Layout Memes ==
Take deep breath as you feel yourself emerge from the tunnel of layout. Perhaps you still have things to touch up, but the end is in sight. Take some time to think about what you want on your board, ''other'' than the electronics. There are a few things you need to have:
* Board Name
* Engineers Names ("T. Vrakas" is the usual format)
* Year
* Sponsor Logos (ask in #altium if you don't know)
* Labels on all connectors, switches and LEDs
And also many things you may want to add. Namely: Memes! Keep it PG, because we have to send the boards to BAC, and we don't want them giving us weird looks.
(TODO: attach pictures of past memes)

== Step 8: DFM ==

== Step 9: Prototype ==

Altium Schematics and Footprints Guidelines

2024-01-19T07:08:08Z

Samchen2:

If you're looking at this right now, you have probably finished the design process of your PCB and picked out all the parts/components you need. If yes, it is highly recommended to make sure you also have schematics and footprints associated with every part before moving on with reading. If not, you should refer to [[The Art of PCB Design]] page before coming back.

=== PCB Terminology ===

* PCB: Printed Circuit Board.

==== Schematics Terminology ====

* Symbol: the representation of an electrical component in the schematic file.
* Net: Any wire that connects to a node. In Altium, the name of the net is the combination of the index of the block (chip) and the component it connects to.
* Tag: Yellow-colored arrow-shaped items in the schematics file. From a separate sheet, the input (inward pointing) tag imports the net defined by the name of the net indicated in the tag. There are also output and bidirectional tags.
* Harness: a group of nets connected to the same terminal. In GPIO/SPI/UART/I2C serial communication methods, the TX and RX data lines will often be grouped by a harness for clarity.

==== Footprints Terminology ====

* Footprint: the representation of an electrical component in the PCB file. It also indicates the location of an electrical component, and you will see it on the manufactured PCB.
* Trace: the copper wires that connect different electrical components on the PCB.
* Via: A hole in the PCB that electrically connects through the board. The copper conductive part is inside the PCB. This moves the copper track to another layer in the PCB and prevent two nets from overlapping on the same layer.

=== Altium Schematics (SchDoc) ===

* Designing the schematics means you will wire up the necessary electrical components that make your PCB board function electrically. You should refer to the datasheets of different parts to see the additional components you might need.
* The Altium schematic sheet of a completed board shows a block diagram with all the electrical components of the board. Each block represents a chip and has a detailed sheet associated with it.
* If you are confused about the functions of components shown in a schematic file, [https://www.khanacademy.org/science/electrical-engineering Khan Academy] can be a great resource for understanding electrical components and what they are used for.
* When the schematic is done, Altium will generate a netlist and import it to the PCB document. You will see all the nets turned into tracks on the PCB, which size can be customized.
** In the Schematic window, go to Design → Update PCB. You can see what parts in the schematic are not on the PCB (They should!). Once you have confirmed everything, click on Execute Changes to update the PCB file (PcbDoc).
** To find where the schematic of a missing part is, use the Find tool (Ctrl + F) and type in the part name.

=== Altium Footprints & PCB (PcbDoc) ===
This is when we switch from designing the circuit to laying out the PCB itself, i.e. planning out the physical locations of each part and component.

==== Layers in Altium ====

* The PCB can have many copper layers that supply power to different components running on different voltages.
* The transparent function in Altium will show two sides of every layer at the same time, which can be confusing at first and will take time to get used to.
* By default, all components on the same page in the schematic document will be in the same “room,” and you can move all the components together in that room.
** Rooms will allow a repeated circuit to be dealt with more quickly. For instance, if you want to have the same circuit repeated 10 times, having the circuit organized in a "room" will make editing the components easier.
** If you don't find this convenient, you can disable this in Altium settings.

==== Wiring Guidelines ====

* Make wire traces/new vias/new layers to finish all connections.
* For higher power/voltage data/power lines, it is recommended to use thicker traces.
* Avoid 90° traces due to high likelihood of EMI (electromagnetic interference).
* No traces can go through a via.
* Make sure the via on one layer is not on top of a via in another layer (or else undesired electrical connections may occur).
* A mechanical hole for mounting certain big components (like battery holders) cannot interfere with any vias or traces, or else an electrical connection cannot be made.
* Select the layer you’re working on with tabs at the bottom of the window for easier selection of traces/components.

After all the checks are done, a 3D model will be generated, and all the information can be sent to a fabrication company.

=== Authors' Note ===
This page is written on January 18, 2024 by [https://ssi-teams.slack.com/team/U045V0EE46Q Sam Chen] and [https://ssi-teams.slack.com/team/U04484CR1SQ Abelle Jayadinata] based on the materials covered in the [https://docs.google.com/document/d/14Ilml3RbP6zr4GWvh4mAetntX6BX1ORxpdkTMpOlbTM/edit?usp=sharing Winter 2024 Altium PCB Workshops] hosted by [https://ssi-teams.slack.com/team/U02F79U8A11 Evelyn Nutt]. We thank [https://ssi-teams.slack.com/team/U02F79U8A11 Evelyn Nutt] and [https://ssi-teams.slack.com/team/U0602L5Q31B Ethan Brinser] for their expertise and knowledge, which made the writing of this page possible.

Altium Schematics and Footprints Guidelines

2024-01-19T07:03:12Z

Samchen2: Added Schematics & Footprints sections

This page is written by Sam Chen and Abelle Jayadinata based on the materials covered in the Winter 2024 Altium PCB Workshops hosted by Evelyn Nutt. We thank Evelyn Nutt and Ethan Brinser for their expertise and knowledge, which made the writing this page possible.

If you're looking at this right now, you have probably finished the design process of your PCB and picked out all the parts/components you need. If yes, it is highly recommended to make sure you also have schematics and footprints associated with every part. If not, you should refer to The Art of PCB Design page before coming back.

=== PCB Terminology ===

* PCB: Printed Circuit Board.

==== Schematics Terminology ====

* Symbol: the representation of an electrical component in the schematic file.
* Net: Any wire that connects to a node. In Altium, the name of the net is the combination of the index of the block (chip) and the component it connects to.
* Tags: Yellow-colored tags. The input (inward pointing) tag means “From another sheet, import this net” defined by the name of the net indicated in the tag. There can also be output and bidirectional tags.
* Harness: a group of nets connected to the same terminal. In GPIO/SPI/UART/I2C serial communication methods, the TX and RX data lines will often be grouped by a harness for clarity.

==== Footprints Terminology ====

* Footprint: the representation of an electrical component in the PCB file. It also indicates the location of an electrical component, and you will see it on the manufactured PCB.
* Trace: the copper wires that connect different electrical components on the PCB.
* Via: A hole in the PCB that electrically connects through the board. The copper conductive part is inside the PCB. This moves the copper track to another layer in the PCB and prevent two nets from overlapping on the same layer.

=== Altium Schematics (SchDoc) ===

* Designing the schematics means you will wire up the necessary electrical components that make your PCB board function electrically. You should refer to the datasheets of different parts to see the additional components you might need.
* The Altium schematic of a completed board shows a block diagram with all the electrical components of the board. Each block represents a chip and has a detailed file associated with it.
* If you are confused about the functions of components shown in a schematic file, [https://www.khanacademy.org/science/electrical-engineering Khan Academy] can be a great resource for understanding electrical components and what they are used for.
* When the schematic is done, Altium will generate a netlist and import it to the PCB document. You will see all the nets turned into tracks on the PCB, which size can be customized.
** In the Schematic window, go to Design → Update PCB. You can see what parts in the schematic are not on the PCB (They should!). Once you have confirmed everything, click on Execute Changes to update the PCB file (PcbDoc).
** To find where the schematic of a missing part is, use the Find tool (Ctrl + F) and type in the part name.

=== Altium Footprints & PCB (PcbDoc) ===
This is when we switch from designing the circuit to laying out the PCB itself, i.e. planning out the physical locations of each part and component.

==== Layers in Altium ====

* The PCB can have many copper layers that supply power to different components running on different voltages.
* The transparent function in Altium will show two sides of every layer at the same time, which can be confusing at first and will take time to get used to.
* By default, all components on the same page in the schematic document will be in the same “room,” and you can move all the components together in that room.
** Rooms will allow a repeated circuit to be dealt with more quickly. For instance, if you want to have the same circuit repeated 10 times, having the circuit organized in a "room" will make editing the components easier.
** If you don't find this convenient, you can disable this in Altium settings.

==== Wiring Guidelines ====

* Make wire traces/new vias/new layers to finish all connections.
* For higher power/voltage data/power lines, it is recommended to use thicker traces.
* Avoid 90° traces due to high likelihood of EMI (electromagnetic interference).
* No traces can go through a via.
* Make sure the via on one layer is not on top of a via in another layer (or else undesired electrical connections may occur).
* A mechanical hole for mounting certain big components (like battery holders) cannot interfere with any vias or traces, or else an electrical connection cannot be made.
* Select the layer you’re working on with tabs at the bottom of the window for easier selection of traces/components.

After all the checks are done, a 3D model will be generated, and all the information can be sent to a fabrication company.

Altium Schematics and Footprints Guidelines

2024-01-19T06:45:29Z

Samchen2: Added PCB Terminology section

This page is written by Sam Chen and Abelle Jayadinata based on the materials covered in the Winter 2024 Altium PCB Workshops hosted by Evelyn Nutt. All credits go to her.

If you're looking at this right now, you have probably finished the design process of your PCB and picked out all the parts/components you need. If yes, it is highly recommended to make sure you also have schematics and footprints associated with every part. If not, you should refer to The Art of PCB Design page before coming back.

=== PCB Terminology ===

* PCB: Printed Circuit Board.

==== Schematics Terminology ====

* Symbol: the representation of an electrical component in the schematic file.
* Net: Any wire that connects to a node. In Altium, the name of the net is the combination of the index of the block (chip) and the component it connects to.
* Tags: Yellow-colored tags. The input (inward pointing) tag means “From another sheet, import this net” defined by the name of the net indicated in the tag. There can also be output and bidirectional tags.
* Harness: a group of wires connected to the same terminal. In GPIO/SPI/UART/I2C serial communication methods, the TX and RX data lines will often be grouped by a harness for clarity.

==== Footprint Terminology ====

* Footprint: the representation of an electrical component in the PCB file. They are also the physical traces of the components that you will see on the PCB.
* Via: A hole in the PCB, electrically connects through the board. The copper conductive part is inside the PCB. The purpose of this is to move the copper track to the other side of the PCB and prevent two nets from overlapping on the same side.

The Art of PCB Design

2024-01-19T06:36:17Z

Samchen2: /* Step 3: Schematics */

[[Category:Altium]]
There are many useful tutorials on this wiki ([[:Category:Altium]]), covering everything from Altium Installation, to footprint design, to DFM. But it's possible to follow those tutorials exactly and still end up with very sketchy PCBs. The purpose of this guide is to help you become a better electrical engineer and PCB designer. Hopefully it will help you design PCBs that are aesthetically pleasing, functional and reliable.

== Step 0: Product Design ==
The most often skipped step in designing a PCB is the design itself. Most EE's don't take product design classes, but it's an important skill to develop. Putting together a comprehensive design will push you to answer the following questions:
* What are the functional requirements of my PCB?
* What are the major components you will need on your board to achieve that functionality?
* In what ways will these components be interconnected? (SPI, UART, I2C, CAN)
* How will power be managed on your PCB? How much power do you need, and where will it come from? How long do your batteries need to last, and what kind will you use?
* What physical and thermal requirements do you need to satisfy? Will there by high acceleration or low temperature? How will you test these factors?
* What shape/size does your PCB need to be? How will it be mounted?
* What things need to connect to your PCB? What kind of wires will you use? What kind of connectors? Will you be able to quickly integrate and de-integrate your PCB from the system?
* What failure modes could your board exhibit, and which could hurt mission success or pose a safety risk? How can you mitigate these risks in your board?
* In what ways could misuse/abuse of your board destroy it, and how can you add protections from the stupid behavior of your future self?
* How can I prototype different parts of my circuit on a breadboard with breakout boards to verify it works as intended?
* What code will run on this board, and how can software development done in parallel to PCB layout?
Because SSI is a large team with many projects and members, You should also consider the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extensibility Extensibility] of your design:
* How can your design leverage existing PCB schematics to speed up the design process?
* How can you use the flight heritage of existing circuits to reduce the chance of your system not working?
* Has any past project developed modularity that you can build upon?
* Can you add modularity to your design that future projects can build upon?
* Can your design be made more flexible or configurable for future missions?
The answers to some of these questions might be "no", but you should try to think about them.
Here are a few case studies of past SSI boards that were designed on paper

=== Valbal EE 9 ===
[https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ZqCeDwD2tvel5EY0Tf7ifroEml3FEVMDf8KcTDa47p0/edit ValBal EE 9.1 Changelist]

[https://docs.google.com/document/d/1qUs500_CiNvGZa_pNxVXRHfVZONEzjOnMHjTuYiBOjw/edit ValBal EE 9.1+ plans]

[https://docs.google.com/document/d/1bBLZtZPUD5KbMAy4ByeYykShZlYhj96Qz9vydWjgE5A/edit ValBal Payload Interface Specification]

=== SpaceSalmon Stack ===
[https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/10tnuvgWhj59NeUBxJNxlRW7EjcLI8pYms1Hf9A7qRLU/edit Fishy Business]

[https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1-VdcZ4H2OCiGasRVfo6jHaaTqtyZaqoEV8z7C4GdDbo/edit Board to Board Connections]

[https://docs.google.com/document/d/11-6qBFXdFuhDwf6qMIAIUr1ztXR1aTiMrxCtl4si8iQ/edit Hardware Overview]

=== Thunderguppy ===
[https://docs.google.com/document/d/1FlarsfEBXSJtyWvuBv_gb6-OZofqeSfMBd3gmK6JoQs/edit ThunderGuppy Battery Issue]

[https://docs.google.com/document/d/1hhX1bpbs2kfcCbvq6EctOQAsNXkiz7CeYOaI4Ki6hTQ/edit ThunderGuppy Initial Design]

[https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1MUmFg8R-3JiZXi5GyeJWyJ3OQy3XObGrAN3LtbTdxLI/edit ThunderGuppy Spec]

=== Buddy V3 ===
[https://docs.google.com/document/d/13fy2KAYhqTLVAPye0ETRxe1ajy-SXyLccdFxlEEXSSw/edit Buddy v3 Design]

== Step 1: Pick the Parts ==
This is the most arduous process of all. All components must have suitable ratings and must all communicate/interact with each other.

Some websites useful for finding parts and specifications of parts:

# [https://www.mouser.com/ Mouser Electronics]
# [https://www.digikey.com DigiKey]

Manufacturer sites for even tighter specifications and datasheets:

# [https://www.analog.com/en/index.html Analog Electronics]
# [https://www.ti.com/ Texas Instruments]
# [https://www.st.com/content/st com/en.html ST Microelectronics]

When picking parts, also make sure to look for evaluation boards, which are breakout boards for microcontrollers to test that their components work. [[/www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/stmicroelectronics/STM32F411E-DISCO/5131480|Example]]

== Step 2: Napkin Sketch ==

== Step 3: Schematics ==
Schematic Design is the process of specifying the symbolic representation of your circuit in a format that both the computer and a human can understand.
* You should make your schematic clean enough that another human can read it. If no one else can read it, they won't be able to catch your mistakes
* You should make heavy use of existing schematics for past SSI projects, especially those you understand and have flight heritage
** If the schematic you are looking for is not available in Altium, they need to be imported or created. You can find the schematics of most components on product pages of the websites listed in Step 1.
* You should use a strict hierarchical schematic sheet tree, with sheets nested within other sheets to reduce complexity

== Step 4: Footprints ==
See [[Making Parts for PCB Libraries]]
* If possible, design your circuit to use parts that have heritage, and have footprints in the library
* Take the time to track down 3D models for components, it will help prevent dumb ME issues later on

== Step 5: Layout Parts ==
Before you start laying out traces, try to get a rough layout of all your parts done. Traces can always be re-routed to other layers, but physical components can't be easily moved once placed. Keep in mind your mechanical design constraints. Make sure your switches and connectors are accessible at the edge of the board, etc.

== Step 6: Layout Traces ==
Laying out traces is not something that happens linearly, nor quickly. Computers can beat humans in Chess, and in Go, but no computer has ever reliably been better at PCB routing than a good human. It's best to tackle large or complex layout projects during uninterrupted time, when you can really really get into a Zen state. Big projects tend to get routed during breaks. You may have to revisit Step 3 above when you find the the way you were envisioning the traces being routed doesn't work out. This is fine. PCB design doesn't fall into the strategy of "rapid prototyping" yet, and so you're better off taking your time, getting everything neatly aligned.

== Step 7: Layout Memes ==
Take deep breath as you feel yourself emerge from the tunnel of layout. Perhaps you still have things to touch up, but the end is in sight. Take some time to think about what you want on your board, ''other'' than the electronics. There are a few things you need to have:
* Board Name
* Engineers Names ("T. Vrakas" is the usual format)
* Year
* Sponsor Logos (ask in #altium if you don't know)
* Labels on all connectors, switches and LEDs
And also many things you may want to add. Namely: Memes! Keep it PG, because we have to send the boards to BAC, and we don't want them giving us weird looks.
(TODO: attach pictures of past memes)

== Step 8: DFM ==

== Step 9: Prototype ==

The Art of PCB Design

2024-01-19T06:33:00Z

Samchen2: /* Step 1: Pick the Parts */

[[Category:Altium]]
There are many useful tutorials on this wiki ([[:Category:Altium]]), covering everything from Altium Installation, to footprint design, to DFM. But it's possible to follow those tutorials exactly and still end up with very sketchy PCBs. The purpose of this guide is to help you become a better electrical engineer and PCB designer. Hopefully it will help you design PCBs that are aesthetically pleasing, functional and reliable.

== Step 0: Product Design ==
The most often skipped step in designing a PCB is the design itself. Most EE's don't take product design classes, but it's an important skill to develop. Putting together a comprehensive design will push you to answer the following questions:
* What are the functional requirements of my PCB?
* What are the major components you will need on your board to achieve that functionality?
* In what ways will these components be interconnected? (SPI, UART, I2C, CAN)
* How will power be managed on your PCB? How much power do you need, and where will it come from? How long do your batteries need to last, and what kind will you use?
* What physical and thermal requirements do you need to satisfy? Will there by high acceleration or low temperature? How will you test these factors?
* What shape/size does your PCB need to be? How will it be mounted?
* What things need to connect to your PCB? What kind of wires will you use? What kind of connectors? Will you be able to quickly integrate and de-integrate your PCB from the system?
* What failure modes could your board exhibit, and which could hurt mission success or pose a safety risk? How can you mitigate these risks in your board?
* In what ways could misuse/abuse of your board destroy it, and how can you add protections from the stupid behavior of your future self?
* How can I prototype different parts of my circuit on a breadboard with breakout boards to verify it works as intended?
* What code will run on this board, and how can software development done in parallel to PCB layout?
Because SSI is a large team with many projects and members, You should also consider the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extensibility Extensibility] of your design:
* How can your design leverage existing PCB schematics to speed up the design process?
* How can you use the flight heritage of existing circuits to reduce the chance of your system not working?
* Has any past project developed modularity that you can build upon?
* Can you add modularity to your design that future projects can build upon?
* Can your design be made more flexible or configurable for future missions?
The answers to some of these questions might be "no", but you should try to think about them.
Here are a few case studies of past SSI boards that were designed on paper

=== Valbal EE 9 ===
[https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ZqCeDwD2tvel5EY0Tf7ifroEml3FEVMDf8KcTDa47p0/edit ValBal EE 9.1 Changelist]

[https://docs.google.com/document/d/1qUs500_CiNvGZa_pNxVXRHfVZONEzjOnMHjTuYiBOjw/edit ValBal EE 9.1+ plans]

[https://docs.google.com/document/d/1bBLZtZPUD5KbMAy4ByeYykShZlYhj96Qz9vydWjgE5A/edit ValBal Payload Interface Specification]

=== SpaceSalmon Stack ===
[https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/10tnuvgWhj59NeUBxJNxlRW7EjcLI8pYms1Hf9A7qRLU/edit Fishy Business]

[https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1-VdcZ4H2OCiGasRVfo6jHaaTqtyZaqoEV8z7C4GdDbo/edit Board to Board Connections]

[https://docs.google.com/document/d/11-6qBFXdFuhDwf6qMIAIUr1ztXR1aTiMrxCtl4si8iQ/edit Hardware Overview]

=== Thunderguppy ===
[https://docs.google.com/document/d/1FlarsfEBXSJtyWvuBv_gb6-OZofqeSfMBd3gmK6JoQs/edit ThunderGuppy Battery Issue]

[https://docs.google.com/document/d/1hhX1bpbs2kfcCbvq6EctOQAsNXkiz7CeYOaI4Ki6hTQ/edit ThunderGuppy Initial Design]

[https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1MUmFg8R-3JiZXi5GyeJWyJ3OQy3XObGrAN3LtbTdxLI/edit ThunderGuppy Spec]

=== Buddy V3 ===
[https://docs.google.com/document/d/13fy2KAYhqTLVAPye0ETRxe1ajy-SXyLccdFxlEEXSSw/edit Buddy v3 Design]

== Step 1: Pick the Parts ==
This is the most arduous process of all. All components must have suitable ratings and must all communicate/interact with each other.

Some websites useful for finding parts and specifications of parts:

# [https://www.mouser.com/ Mouser Electronics]
# [https://www.digikey.com DigiKey]

Manufacturer sites for even tighter specifications and datasheets:

# [https://www.analog.com/en/index.html Analog Electronics]
# [https://www.ti.com/ Texas Instruments]
# [https://www.st.com/content/st com/en.html ST Microelectronics]

When picking parts, also make sure to look for evaluation boards, which are breakout boards for microcontrollers to test that their components work. [[/www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/stmicroelectronics/STM32F411E-DISCO/5131480|Example]]

== Step 2: Napkin Sketch ==

== Step 3: Schematics ==
Schematic Design is the process of specifying the symbolic representation of your circuit in a format that both the computer and a human can understand.
* You should make your schematic clean enough that another human can read it. If no one else can read it, they won't be able to catch your mistakes
* You should make heavy use of existing schematics for past SSI projects, especially those you understand and have flight heritage
* You should use a strict hierarchical schematic sheet tree, with sheets nested within other sheets to reduce complexity

== Step 4: Footprints ==
See [[Making Parts for PCB Libraries]]
* If possible, design your circuit to use parts that have heritage, and have footprints in the library
* Take the time to track down 3D models for components, it will help prevent dumb ME issues later on

== Step 5: Layout Parts ==
Before you start laying out traces, try to get a rough layout of all your parts done. Traces can always be re-routed to other layers, but physical components can't be easily moved once placed. Keep in mind your mechanical design constraints. Make sure your switches and connectors are accessible at the edge of the board, etc.

== Step 6: Layout Traces ==
Laying out traces is not something that happens linearly, nor quickly. Computers can beat humans in Chess, and in Go, but no computer has ever reliably been better at PCB routing than a good human. It's best to tackle large or complex layout projects during uninterrupted time, when you can really really get into a Zen state. Big projects tend to get routed during breaks. You may have to revisit Step 3 above when you find the the way you were envisioning the traces being routed doesn't work out. This is fine. PCB design doesn't fall into the strategy of "rapid prototyping" yet, and so you're better off taking your time, getting everything neatly aligned.

== Step 7: Layout Memes ==
Take deep breath as you feel yourself emerge from the tunnel of layout. Perhaps you still have things to touch up, but the end is in sight. Take some time to think about what you want on your board, ''other'' than the electronics. There are a few things you need to have:
* Board Name
* Engineers Names ("T. Vrakas" is the usual format)
* Year
* Sponsor Logos (ask in #altium if you don't know)
* Labels on all connectors, switches and LEDs
And also many things you may want to add. Namely: Memes! Keep it PG, because we have to send the boards to BAC, and we don't want them giving us weird looks.
(TODO: attach pictures of past memes)

== Step 8: DFM ==

== Step 9: Prototype ==

The Art of PCB Design

2024-01-19T06:31:36Z

Samchen2: /* Step 1: Pick the Parts */

[[Category:Altium]]
There are many useful tutorials on this wiki ([[:Category:Altium]]), covering everything from Altium Installation, to footprint design, to DFM. But it's possible to follow those tutorials exactly and still end up with very sketchy PCBs. The purpose of this guide is to help you become a better electrical engineer and PCB designer. Hopefully it will help you design PCBs that are aesthetically pleasing, functional and reliable.

== Step 0: Product Design ==
The most often skipped step in designing a PCB is the design itself. Most EE's don't take product design classes, but it's an important skill to develop. Putting together a comprehensive design will push you to answer the following questions:
* What are the functional requirements of my PCB?
* What are the major components you will need on your board to achieve that functionality?
* In what ways will these components be interconnected? (SPI, UART, I2C, CAN)
* How will power be managed on your PCB? How much power do you need, and where will it come from? How long do your batteries need to last, and what kind will you use?
* What physical and thermal requirements do you need to satisfy? Will there by high acceleration or low temperature? How will you test these factors?
* What shape/size does your PCB need to be? How will it be mounted?
* What things need to connect to your PCB? What kind of wires will you use? What kind of connectors? Will you be able to quickly integrate and de-integrate your PCB from the system?
* What failure modes could your board exhibit, and which could hurt mission success or pose a safety risk? How can you mitigate these risks in your board?
* In what ways could misuse/abuse of your board destroy it, and how can you add protections from the stupid behavior of your future self?
* How can I prototype different parts of my circuit on a breadboard with breakout boards to verify it works as intended?
* What code will run on this board, and how can software development done in parallel to PCB layout?
Because SSI is a large team with many projects and members, You should also consider the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extensibility Extensibility] of your design:
* How can your design leverage existing PCB schematics to speed up the design process?
* How can you use the flight heritage of existing circuits to reduce the chance of your system not working?
* Has any past project developed modularity that you can build upon?
* Can you add modularity to your design that future projects can build upon?
* Can your design be made more flexible or configurable for future missions?
The answers to some of these questions might be "no", but you should try to think about them.
Here are a few case studies of past SSI boards that were designed on paper

=== Valbal EE 9 ===
[https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ZqCeDwD2tvel5EY0Tf7ifroEml3FEVMDf8KcTDa47p0/edit ValBal EE 9.1 Changelist]

[https://docs.google.com/document/d/1qUs500_CiNvGZa_pNxVXRHfVZONEzjOnMHjTuYiBOjw/edit ValBal EE 9.1+ plans]

[https://docs.google.com/document/d/1bBLZtZPUD5KbMAy4ByeYykShZlYhj96Qz9vydWjgE5A/edit ValBal Payload Interface Specification]

=== SpaceSalmon Stack ===
[https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/10tnuvgWhj59NeUBxJNxlRW7EjcLI8pYms1Hf9A7qRLU/edit Fishy Business]

[https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1-VdcZ4H2OCiGasRVfo6jHaaTqtyZaqoEV8z7C4GdDbo/edit Board to Board Connections]

[https://docs.google.com/document/d/11-6qBFXdFuhDwf6qMIAIUr1ztXR1aTiMrxCtl4si8iQ/edit Hardware Overview]

=== Thunderguppy ===
[https://docs.google.com/document/d/1FlarsfEBXSJtyWvuBv_gb6-OZofqeSfMBd3gmK6JoQs/edit ThunderGuppy Battery Issue]

[https://docs.google.com/document/d/1hhX1bpbs2kfcCbvq6EctOQAsNXkiz7CeYOaI4Ki6hTQ/edit ThunderGuppy Initial Design]

[https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1MUmFg8R-3JiZXi5GyeJWyJ3OQy3XObGrAN3LtbTdxLI/edit ThunderGuppy Spec]

=== Buddy V3 ===
[https://docs.google.com/document/d/13fy2KAYhqTLVAPye0ETRxe1ajy-SXyLccdFxlEEXSSw/edit Buddy v3 Design]

== Step 1: Pick the Parts ==
This is the most arduous process of all. All components must have suitable ratings and must all communicate/interact with each other.

Some websites useful for finding parts and specifications of parts:

# [[/www.mouser.com/|Mouser Electronics]]
# [[/www.digikey.com/|DigiKey]]

Manufacturer sites for even tighter specifications and datasheets:

# [[/www.analog.com/en/index.html|Analog Electronics]]
# [[/www.ti.com/|Texas Instruments]]
# [[/www.st.com/content/st com/en.html|ST Microelectronics]]

When picking parts, also make sure to look for evaluation boards, which are breakout boards for microcontrollers to test that their components work. [[/www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/stmicroelectronics/STM32F411E-DISCO/5131480|Example]]

== Step 2: Napkin Sketch ==

== Step 3: Schematics ==
Schematic Design is the process of specifying the symbolic representation of your circuit in a format that both the computer and a human can understand.
* You should make your schematic clean enough that another human can read it. If no one else can read it, they won't be able to catch your mistakes
* You should make heavy use of existing schematics for past SSI projects, especially those you understand and have flight heritage
* You should use a strict hierarchical schematic sheet tree, with sheets nested within other sheets to reduce complexity

== Step 4: Footprints ==
See [[Making Parts for PCB Libraries]]
* If possible, design your circuit to use parts that have heritage, and have footprints in the library
* Take the time to track down 3D models for components, it will help prevent dumb ME issues later on

== Step 5: Layout Parts ==
Before you start laying out traces, try to get a rough layout of all your parts done. Traces can always be re-routed to other layers, but physical components can't be easily moved once placed. Keep in mind your mechanical design constraints. Make sure your switches and connectors are accessible at the edge of the board, etc.

== Step 6: Layout Traces ==
Laying out traces is not something that happens linearly, nor quickly. Computers can beat humans in Chess, and in Go, but no computer has ever reliably been better at PCB routing than a good human. It's best to tackle large or complex layout projects during uninterrupted time, when you can really really get into a Zen state. Big projects tend to get routed during breaks. You may have to revisit Step 3 above when you find the the way you were envisioning the traces being routed doesn't work out. This is fine. PCB design doesn't fall into the strategy of "rapid prototyping" yet, and so you're better off taking your time, getting everything neatly aligned.

== Step 7: Layout Memes ==
Take deep breath as you feel yourself emerge from the tunnel of layout. Perhaps you still have things to touch up, but the end is in sight. Take some time to think about what you want on your board, ''other'' than the electronics. There are a few things you need to have:
* Board Name
* Engineers Names ("T. Vrakas" is the usual format)
* Year
* Sponsor Logos (ask in #altium if you don't know)
* Labels on all connectors, switches and LEDs
And also many things you may want to add. Namely: Memes! Keep it PG, because we have to send the boards to BAC, and we don't want them giving us weird looks.
(TODO: attach pictures of past memes)

== Step 8: DFM ==

== Step 9: Prototype ==