Import Changes

Once schematics are complete, the first import will populate the layout file with all the components and connections necessary to design the actual board.

Setup Design Rules

Before starting placement and routing, it is best to go through the design rules and ensure they meet the project requirements. By default, the NER template will include a set design rules based on manufacturing requirements. This will not however account for clearances that need to be enforced for other reasons, such as high voltage, water resistance, or anything else.

Complete Component Placement

Using the “rats nest” view, it is possible to see how all the pads on a PCB should be connected, without actually placing copper. Component placement is arranging the components loosely such that pins should be able to connect when we start routing, but without putting in the actual effort of routing every pin. This allows the opportunity to think about overall layout of the board and potential major collisions that need to be discussed.

Preliminary Placement Review & Feedback

It’s recommended before routing to complete a preliminary design review. This will allow for others to provide feedback before you need to go through the efforts of complete routing. In this stage a design review should be hosted and feedback should be recorded and addressed.

Complete Routing

Once confident in component placements, the actual routing can begin. This consists of running traces, polygons, vias, and more to actually establish the connections dictated in schematic.

Complete Silks

Completing silks includes formatting and arranging designators, adding caution labels, adding team logos and attributions, and anything else we want printed on the board. Typically this is done last in the processes, as they are low priority and need to avoid any collisions if we want them visible.

Final Design Review

As you’d expect, we need a final design review to collect team feedback and address issues that are discovered.

Execute OutJobs

Once the board is 100% ready for production, we need to initiate an OutJob. These automatically create a release in the version control system and generates fabrication outputs to upload to a fabrication house.

Order PCBs

The lead can now order the boards and components! The OutJob should automatically have created the needed Gerber files and BOM.

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{explain the minor variations (import to schematic and such)}

Before going deep into a layout, make sure design rules are all setup!

The bottom right corner will always show you your coordinates, grid snap size, and units!

MechEs hate the fact that mils is imperial since they sometimes think millimeters are mils. In Altium, 1 mil = 0.001 inches (a.k.a. 1 thou (as in one thousandth))!

I don’t recommend turning everything on. Once a board gets dense, you’ll have snapping points in so many places that you won’t be able to move anything anymore!

Never ever ever use X and Y when in layout. You will get a warning from Altium for good reason: your component will (most likely) no longer solder onto the board!

Polygons depend heavily on priority to resolve overlap. If you have multiple polygons you will need to play a lot with their pour order. For some you may want: https://nerdocs.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/NER/pages/156205136/Advanced+Layout#Polygon-Manager

Defining Rules

Rules are defined from the design rule window, opened via the toolbar in “Design” > “Rules”.

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By default, the NER project template should include design rules that meet the requirements of our most common PCB fabricators (JLCPCB and PCBWay). If not, the most recent version can be downloaded from the https://nerdocs.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/NER/pages/118718470/Vault+Guidelines#Preset-Design-Rule-Files.

There are many many rules that are only important for manufacturing and likely will not vary for each design. However, the following are rules that are often changed and should be looked over:

• Clearance → Minimum space between copper

• Creepage → Minimum path allowed over a surface between copper

• Width → Minimum and maximum trace size

• Via Style → Dimensions for vias

Design Rule Check (DRC)

Altium completes checks via two methods: “Online” and “Batch”. The design rule checker (and settings) can be opened via the toolbar “Tools” > “Design Rule Check…”

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From here a batch DRC can be initiated with the button in the bottom left. The DRC settings are altered via the tabs in the left column (“Rules To Check”).

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Online DRC

Online DRC is what Altium labels the live checking of rules when working in a project. These are automatically triggered every time a component or trace is dragged or placed. Which rules are checked online can be toggled within the DRC window (shown above).

We recommend (and this should be by default) turning on the following rules for online checking:

• Clearance

• Short Circuit

• Routing Via Style

• Width

• Silk to Silk Clearance

• Component Clearance

Absolutely add more if they are helpful and your computer can handle it!

Batch DRC

Batch DRC is the more traditional design rules check that people think of when mentioning “DRC.” As mentioned in the above sections, which rules are checked can be set in the DRC window and the check itself can be triggered with the “Run Design Rule Check…” button.

Additional settings can be set on the first tab of the DRC window. Notable settings as follows:

• Create report file → Do you want the pop-up that lists how many fail and what types?

• Create Violations → Do you want the green/Xs overlay for errors?

• Stop when [500] violations found → A cap for when to stop counting

• Split Plane DRC Report Options → These options all have to do with checking your poly and plane thermal reliefs!

Some nicer (more expensive) “turn-key” PCBA companies will take direct Altium files and do all the processing for you.

Update Board Outline

For simple board shapes, updating the board outline is as simple as updated the board to match your outline layer!

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Our boards default to having the M1 layer labeled “Board Outline” which contains the board shape. Selecting the contents of this layer and then using “Design” > “Board Shape” > “Define Board Shape from Selected Objects“ updates the shape to the outline.

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The black region and 3D view should now align to the board outline layer

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Complex Boards (Cutouts)

More complex boards may require board cutouts for rules compliance or mechanical fitment.

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For these boards it is important before export to add slots to the board shape.

1. Update the overall board shape (this is done via the above steps)

2. Delete the content from the Board Outline layer

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   1. This is to avoid duplicated, overlapping lines

3. Navigate to “Design” > “Board Shape” > “Create Primitives From Board Shape”

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4. Configure the tool. Ensure you set a reasonable line width (5 or 10 mils) and the correct layer (usually “Board Outline”

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5. Hit OK!

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Your board now has a fully accurate shape layer, including cutouts!

Out Job Configuration

Within the Altium file structure, there is a separate directory called “Settings” > “Output Job Files” which contains OutJob configuration files. These come in 3 types: Source, Fabrication, and Assembly, each configuring their respective export type.

The NER project template should include pre-configured OutJob files. If not, they can be downloaded from the Vault Guidelines {need to add section for it} and manually dragged into the folder.

Once OutJobs are setup, it is good to confirm they are going to perform as you expect. A typical OutJob setup appears as below:

{image of outjob from a working project}

This should rarely happen, but if you need to tweak the Gerbers for certain manufacturers this can be done by double clicking the {} and editing {}.

Creating a Release

As long as the OutJobs are setup properly (see above section), creating a release is only a few clicks!

1. Right Click on the project

2. Select “Project Releaser” {check}

3. {}

4. {}

5. {}

Once complete, you will find all the exported files in the {} directory. You can easily shortcut to this by right clicking the folder in the project panel and selecting “Explore.”

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You will also now see that if you open the project version history, a release should be added.

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