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Altium to Launch Update of Flagship Design Tool at PCB West
September 16, 2015 | PRWEBEstimated reading time: 1 minute
Altium Limited is announcing the next major update to their flagship PCB design tool, Altium Designer, at PCB West, an annual PCB design conference in Santa Clara, California. Attendees at PCB West 2015 will get an exclusive first look at all of the new features coming to Altium Designer 16 before its scheduled release in the fall. This update will allow engineers to get their designs done even faster and error-free with the addition of new automation and productivity tools.
"The increasing complexity of today's electronic designs requires the most productive design environment for engineers to remain competitive," said Christopher Donato, VP Americas at Altium. "Our focus for this release is to provide PCB designers with the most productive and efficient PCB design platform available to meet the demands of every engineering challenge."
Pushing Productivity Further
As a longtime sponsor of PCB West, this year Altium will be unveiling all of the new features available in Altium Designer 16 to attendees. Visitors to Altium at booth 311 will have the opportunity to demo all of the new productivity and automation features in this major update, including:
- A new alternative part choice system allows designers to fully control their component selection process with backup part choices for manufacturing.
- Visual clearance boundaries allow designers to understand the impact of their routing decisions in real-time with visual clearance boundaries between objects on a board.
- A new component placement system allows designers to create the most organized and efficient board layouts with new component placement options.
"The new features we've developed in Altium Designer 16 reflect our commitment to the on-going value and growth of the Altium Designer platform," said Sergey Kostinsky, VP of Engineering at Altium. "This release furthers our goal of creating the best design tool for mainstream PCB designers who need to meet increasingly tight deadlines and budget."
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DownStream Acquisition Fits Siemens’ ‘Left-Shift’ Model
06/26/2025 | Andy Shaughnessy, I-Connect007I recently spoke to DownStream Technologies founder Joe Clark about the company’s acquisition by Siemens. We were later joined by A.J. Incorvaia, Siemens’ senior VP of electronic board systems. Joe discussed how he, Rick Almeida, and Ken Tepper launched the company in the months after 9/11 and how the acquisition came about. A.J. provides some background on the acquisition and explains why the companies’ tools are complementary.
Elementary Mr. Watson: Retro Routers vs. Modern Boards—The Silent Struggle on Your Screen
06/26/2025 | John Watson -- Column: Elementary, Mr. WatsonThere's a story about a young woman preparing a holiday ham. Before putting it in the pan, she cuts off the ends. When asked why, she shrugs and says, "That's how my mom always did it." She asks her mother, who gives the same answer. Eventually, the question reaches Grandma, who laughs and says, "Oh, I only cut the ends off because my pan was too small." This story is a powerful analogy for how many PCB designers approach routing today.
Connect the Dots: The Future of PCB Design and Manufacturing
07/02/2025 | Matt Stevenson -- Column: Connect the DotsFor some time, I have been discussing the increasing complexity of PCBs and how designers can address the constantly evolving design requirements associated with them. My book, "The Printed Circuit Designer’s Guide to… Designing for Reality," details best practices for creating manufacturable boards in a modern production environment.
Siemens Turbocharges Semiconductor and PCB Design Portfolio with Generative and Agentic AI
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Cadence AI Autorouter May Transform the Landscape
06/19/2025 | Andy Shaughnessy, Design007 MagazinePatrick Davis, product management director with Cadence Design Systems, discusses advancements in autorouting technology, including AI. He emphasizes a holistic approach that enhances placement and power distribution before routing. He points out that younger engineers seem more likely to embrace autorouting, while the veteran designers are still wary of giving up too much control. Will AI help autorouters finally gain industry-wide acceptance?