767
edits
Changes
How to Install and Configure Altium (view source)
Revision as of 20:36, 1 January 2017
, 20:36, 1 January 2017Almost done!
[[File:AltiumLicense.png|thumb|200px|right|Protip: Don't publish sensitive information on the internet.]]
[[File:AltiumLicense.png|thumb|200px|right|Protip: Don't publish sensitive information on the internet.]]
After Altium finishes installing, open it. Under "My Account," click "Sign in" and log in with your Altium account. Check "Sign me in when I open Altium Designer," as this will automatically grant you license access when you start the program. Next, under "Available Licenses," select Altium Designer from the list of products (you may or may not have other options listed; you can safely ignore all other ones) and click "Use" underneath (see right). This will now happen automatically every time you open the program.
After Altium finishes installing, open it. Under "My Account," click "Sign in" and log in with your Altium account. Check "Sign me in when I open Altium Designer," as this will automatically grant you license access when you start the program. Next, under "Available Licenses," select Altium Designer from the list of products (you may or may not have other options listed; you can safely ignore all other ones) and click "Use" underneath (see right). This will now happen automatically every time you open the program.
===Open SSI Integrated Library===
===Open SSI Integrated Library===
File:LibrariesPanelWithStuffInstalled.PNG|<center> Your dropdown should look like this after completing all of the above installation. </center>
File:LibrariesPanelWithStuffInstalled.PNG|<center> Your dropdown should look like this after completing all of the above installation. </center>
File:BringUpSelectColumns.PNG |<center> Right click on any column header under the dropdown. </center>
File:BringUpSelectColumns.PNG |<center> Right click on any column header under the dropdown. </center>
File:ResistorSelectColumns.PNG|<center> Once you're down moving parameters around, you should get this. </center>
File:ResistorSelectColumns.PNG|<center> Once you're done moving parameters around, you should get this. </center>
</gallery> </center>
</gallery> </center>
Now, from the dropdown, select "sscp.DbLib - capacitor$," and repeat the above steps to get to the Select Parameter Columns window. Move parameters around until the three parameters you have in the right column are "human_value," "Package," and "description." Click OK.
Now, from the dropdown, select "sscp.DbLib - capacitor$," and repeat the above steps to get to the Select Parameter Columns window. Move parameters around until the three parameters you have in the right column are "human_value," "Package," and "description." Click OK.
Optionally, repeat the steps for "capacitor$" with "capacitor_auto$." The "capacitor_auto$" section contains capacitors specially rated for automotive use, which are of obvious use to the library's creators (who, hint, build a car every two years) but are typically not important for SSI projects. "capacitor_auto$" does not have a "human_value" parameter.
Optionally, repeat the steps for "capacitor$" with "capacitor_auto$." The "capacitor_auto$" section contains capacitors specially rated for automotive applications, which are of obvious use to the library's creators (hint: they build a car every two years) but are typically not important for SSI projects. "capacitor_auto$" does not have a "human_value" parameter
===Configuring Altium Preferences===
[[File:SystemDefaultLocations.png|thumb|200px|right|You will end up with something like this.]]
Altium's default preferences are quite workable, but a couple of settings relating to the default locations of files need to be configured on each new computer. To change Altium preferences, from the top bar, click "DXP → Preferences..."
====Files and Libraries Location====
Within Preferences, go to "System → Default Locations." There are two fields; set "Document Path" to your Altium SVN folder, and set "Library Path" to your "libraries" folder in the Altium SVN. See the image at right for an example of the result.
====Templates Location====
[[File:DataManagementTemplates.png|thumb|200px|right|You will end up with something like this, unless you're attempting to steal my identity, in which case you will end up with ''exactly'' this.]]
An unjustifiable length of time was spent creating formatting templates for SSI circuit schematics, which make for a clean, professional project and add a bit of information to each schematic. To use, in Preferences, go to "Data Management → Templates," and set the "Template location" field to point to the "libraries\templates" folder in your Altium SVN. See the image at right for an example of the result.
===Install the SSI PCB Logos Font===
Adding logos to PCBs is an important aspect of professionalism, part of SSI's agreements with its sponsors, and a nice way to add some creativity to a technical process. For logos that SSI commonly uses, we've created a font with scalable versions of each. This font is stored in "libraries\logos\SSI" - there, you can double click on "SSI_logos.ttf" to install it.
===Remap Delete Key===
[[File:DeleteKeyRemapping.png|thumb|200px|right|You should end up with this.]]
''This step is only required of computers which do not have distinct "backspace" and "delete" keys. Desktops and most non-Apple laptops can skip this step. Apple laptops which have a "delete" key that functions as a backspace key need to complete this step.''
From the top bar, click "DXP → Customize..." In the window that comes up (see right), click "Edit" from the "Categories" column on the left, then double click on "Clear" in the "Commands" column on the right. This is the command generally used in Altium to delete things, which is by default mapped to the delete key, which, if you're completing this step, you do not have. Click the "Primary" field, and then hit your backspace key to remap the command to that key.
==A Brief Introduction to SVN==
This is the last part of this guide! You have actually already completed the installation and configuration of Altium; this step is intended to give you a quick introduction to SVN and how to use it. If you're already familiar with SVN, skip to the [[#Your First Commit|last task]].
===Background===
An SVN repository is a series of "snapshots" of a folder over time. Each snapshot is called a '''commit''', and represents the state of the folder and some or all of its contents at a moment in time.
===Your First Commit===
[[Category: Altium]]
[[Category: Altium]]