liminfoAltium Reference
Free reference guide: Altium Reference
About Altium Reference
This Altium Designer Reference is a comprehensive cheat sheet for PCB design engineers working with Altium Designer. It covers schematic capture commands (Place Part, Wire, Net Label, Power Port, Annotate), PCB layout operations (Interactive Routing, Copper Pour, Via Stitching, Length Tuning), and essential design rules.
The reference includes detailed entries on design rule configuration for clearance (default 0.2mm/8mil), trace width rules for signal and power lines, differential pair rules for USB/HDMI/Ethernet (100 ohm impedance), and impedance control for 50 ohm single-ended and 100 ohm differential traces based on stackup.
Production output workflows are covered including Gerber file generation, Excellon drill files, BOM (Bill of Materials) export in Excel/CSV, Pick and Place coordinate files for SMT, and ODB++ as a comprehensive manufacturing data format. Library management entries cover footprint editing, schematic symbol creation, and integrated library compilation.
Key Features
- Schematic capture commands: Place Part (P,P), Wire (P,W), Net Label (P,N), Power Port (P,O), and Annotate Schematics
- PCB layout operations: Interactive Routing (P,T), Copper Pour, Via Stitching, and Length Tuning for high-speed signals
- Design rule configuration for clearance, trace width, differential pair, and impedance control with practical values
- Production output guide for Gerber files, Excellon drill, BOM, Pick and Place, and ODB++ manufacturing data
- Library management: Footprint Editor with IPC Wizard, Schematic Symbol creation, and Integrated Library compilation
- Essential keyboard shortcuts: Space (rotate), L (layer switch), Ctrl+D (layer settings), Ctrl+Shift+C (cross-probe)
- Differential pair and impedance control rules for USB, HDMI, and Ethernet with specific width and gap values
- Cross-probe between schematic and PCB for bidirectional component synchronization
Frequently Asked Questions
What schematic capture commands does this reference cover?
The reference covers all essential schematic commands: Place Part (P,P) for component placement from libraries, Place Wire (P,W) for electrical connections between pins, Net Label (P,N) for remote connections across sheets, Power Port (P,O) for VCC/GND/+3V3 global nets, and Annotate Schematics for automatic designator assignment (R1, R2, C1, U1, etc.).
What PCB layout routing operations are included?
The reference covers Interactive Routing (P,T) with Ctrl+W for width change and Shift+R for routing mode toggle, Copper Pour for GND planes with Repour All (T,G,A), Via Stitching for ground plane thermal/electrical connections with configurable spacing, and Length Tuning for high-speed signal matching using serpentine patterns for differential pairs and groups.
What design rules are documented?
Four key design rules are covered: Clearance rules (default 0.2mm/8mil, 1mm+ for high voltage), Width rules for signal traces (0.15mm) and power traces (0.5mm+ based on current), Differential Pair rules (0.1mm width, 0.15mm gap for 100 ohm impedance for USB/HDMI/Ethernet), and Impedance Control rules (50 ohm single: W=0.17mm for 4-layer 1.6mm, 100 ohm differential: W=0.1mm, S=0.15mm stackup-dependent).
How are production output workflows covered?
The reference covers Gerber output (File > Fabrication Outputs > Gerber Files) for layer-by-layer .gbr file generation with Excellon drill files, BOM generation (Reports > Bill of Materials) in Excel/CSV format with grouping options, Pick and Place coordinate files with X/Y positions and rotation for SMT, and ODB++ as a single-file comprehensive manufacturing data alternative to Gerber.
What library management features are explained?
Three library-related entries are included: Footprint Editor for pad placement, silkscreen, 3D model attachment, and IPC Compliant Footprint Wizard usage; Schematic Symbol creation with pin placement and pin mode configuration (Input/Output/Bidirectional); and Integrated Library compilation linking schematic symbols to PCB footprints and generating distributable .IntLib files.
What keyboard shortcuts are documented?
The reference covers essential shortcuts: Space for rotation during placement, X/Y for mirroring, Ctrl+D for board layer/color settings and visibility toggle, L for layer switching during routing (inserts via), +/- for next/previous layer navigation, and Ctrl+Shift+C for cross-probing between schematic and PCB with bidirectional component highlighting.
How is impedance control for high-speed design explained?
The impedance control entry provides specific trace geometry for common impedance targets: 50 ohm single-ended at W=0.17mm on a 4-layer 1.6mm stackup, and 100 ohm differential at W=0.1mm with S=0.15mm spacing. It emphasizes that exact values are stackup-dependent and must be calculated based on dielectric constant and layer thickness.
Does this reference cover Design Rule Check (DRC)?
Yes. The DRC entry explains how to run Tools > Design Rule Check to verify clearance violations, minimum width violations, unconnected nets, and other rule violations. Error markers are placed at violation locations in the PCB layout for quick identification and correction of design issues.