New in Altium Designer

Applies to Altium Designer version: 24
 

This page details the improvements included in the initial release of Altium Designer 24, as well as those added in subsequent updates. Along with delivering a range of improvements that develop and mature the existing technologies, each update also incorporates a large number of fixes and enhancements across the software based on feedback raised by customers through the AltiumLive Community's BugCrunch system, helping you continue to create cutting-edge electronics technology.

You can choose to continue with your current version, update your current version, or install Altium Designer 24 alongside your current version to access the latest features. Your current version can be updated from within the software in the Extensions and Updates view. If you prefer to install Altium Designer 24 alongside your current version, visit the Altium Downloads page to download the installer, then choose New Installation on the Installation Mode page of the installer.

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Altium Designer 24.2

Released: 15 February 2024 – Version 24.2.2 (build 26)

Release Notes for Altium Designer 24.2.2


PCB Design Improvements

Added the Ability to Choose Components Manually while Replicating

This release extends the functionality of the PCB Layout Replication tool with the ability to manually map components in target blocks where multiple components have been detected by the tool as having similar connections. This allows you to manually choose between available components that are able to replace each other faithfully without violating circuit connectivity.

When multiple components with similar connections are detected by the tool, corresponding target blocks in the PCB Layout Replication dialog will have the icon (when the block is collapsed), and each component with available replacements will have the icon (when the block is expanded). Use the drop-down in the Designator field of the component with detected replacements to choose the required component.

Javascript ID: Dlg_PCBLayoutReplication_Alternate_AD24_2
For more information, refer to the PCB Layout Replication page.

Added Differential Pair Common Mode Impedance in Layer Stack Manager

When Differential is selected as the Type in the Properties panel to define an Impedance Profile for a differential pair, a field has been added that shows the common mode impedance for the selected Impedance Profile. This value, which is displayed as Impedance (Zcomm), is taken from Simbeor's calculated transmission line data.

For more information, refer to the Controlled Impedance Routing page.

Use of Tuning Miter Parameter for Connecting an Accordion to a Route

When interactively tuning the length of a route by adding an accordion, the Miter parameter defined for the accordion in the Properties panel is now also used to miter the traces that connect the accordion to the route. Previously, the Miter Ratio parameter defined for the interactive routing was used for these traces.

The Miter value from the accordion properties is now also applied to traces connecting that accordion to the route.
The Miter value from the accordion properties is now also applied to traces connecting that accordion to the route.

For more information, refer to the Length Tuning page.

Constraint Manager Improvement

Enhanced Ability to Transfer Constraints from PCB to Schematic

In this release, the ability to transfer constraints defined on the Physical and Electrical views of the Constraint Manager has been added. In the PCB editor, select the Design » Update Schematics in <PCBProjectName> command from the main menus and use the Engineering Change Order dialog that opens to explore, validate and execute the changes in constraints.

For more information, refer to the Defining Design Requirements Using the Constraint Manager page.

Multi-board Design Improvement

Added Bookmarks Panel for Multi-board Draftsman Documents

The Bookmarks panel is now available in Draftsman when working with a manufacturing drawing of a multi-board design (*.MbDwf). The panel gives a tree view of the sheets on the Draftsman document. Each sheet entry can be expanded and collapsed; when expanded, the appropriate contents of each sheet are displayed as shown in the image below.

You can use the panel to easily navigate in the design space. When an item is selected in the panel or design space, the Properties panel (if open) displays the properties and settings of the selected item. Additionally, when you select an item in the Bookmarks panel, the design space zooms to the selected item.

For more information, refer to the Creating a Manufacturing Drawing page.

Harness Design Improvements

Duplicate Designator Violation Removed for Cable, Shield and Twist Objects

On the Wiring Diagram, the Duplicate Designator (WD) violation check does not report an issue when Cable/Shield/Twist objects use the same designator. This can now be split and used in different places using the same designator.

For more information, refer to the Validating the Harness Design page.

Highlight Wires for Twists and Shields

If a twist/shield is associated with wires in multiple places on the Wiring Diagram (using the same designator), selecting a twist/shield instance will highlight all associated wires in the group with a neon green color.

Javascript ID: Harness_WD_Highlight

An example of a Wiring Diagram where two twists with the same designator are placed on different groups of wires. While only one of these twists is selected, all wires covered by these twists are highlighted.

An example of a Wiring Diagram where two shields with the same designator are placed on different groups of wires. While only one of these shields is selected, all wires covered by these shields are highlighted.

For more information, refer to the Defining the Harness Wiring Diagram page.

Added Support for Multi-part Components

The ability to transfer multi-part component data from the Wiring Diagram to the Layout Drawing has been added. When multi-part components are placed on the Wiring Diagram, designators are correctly assigned to the components in the Layout Drawing. If multiple parts of the same component are placed on the Wiring Diagram, only one instance of the component is placed on the Layout Drawing.

For more information, refer to the Defining the Harness Wiring Diagram page.

Added Support to Connect Shields to a Connection Point

A shield with a connection object that is defined on the Wiring Diagram can now be assigned to a connection point in the Layout Drawing. Use the Add Assigned Objects dialog (accessed by clicking the Add button in the Assigned Objects region of the Properties panel) when the connection point is selected to choose the shield with a connection to be assigned to that connection point. 

Javascript ID: Harness_ShieldConnection_CP
For more information, refer to the Creating the Harness Layout Drawing page.

Added Support for Multicolored Wires

Multicolored wires are now supported in the Wiring Diagram by choosing a wire's secondary and tertiary colors. (The primary color is the color of the placed wire.) In the Properties panel, click the Add drop-down at the bottom of the Parameters region then choose Secondary and Tertiary to define the desired colors; the parameter for the chosen color will appear in the Parameters region. Click the color icon in the panel to open the color options; click the desired color. You can also define the border color for the wire using the same drop-down then selecting Border. Click through the slideshow below for examples.

Javascript ID: MultiColorWire

Wire with the secondary color defined

Wire with the tertiary color defined

Wire with the border color defined

Wire with all color options defined

For more information, refer to the Creating the Harness Wiring Diagram page.

Multicolored wires are also supported in harness design Draftsman documents (*.HarDwf). Additional columns for secondary, tertiary and border colors can be made visible in placed tables, and corresponding Color cells are split to show the secondary and tertiary colors assigned to the wire.

For more information, refer to the Creating a Manufacturing Drawing page.

Added Support for Multiple Wiring Diagrams in Draftsman Documents

The Harness Draftsman document (*.HarDwf) now supports multiple Wiring Diagram documents (*.WirDoc) in the same project. This feature lets you choose the wiring diagram document from which a placed wiring diagram view should be generated and updated. Use the Document drop-down in the Properties region of the Properties panel when the wiring diagram view is selected to choose the wiring diagram document for this view.

For more information, refer to the Creating a Manufacturing Drawing page.

Added Bookmarks Panel for Harness Draftsman Documents

The Bookmarks panel is now available in Draftsman when working with a manufacturing drawing of a harness design (*.HarDwf). The panel gives a tree view of the sheets on the Draftsman document. Each sheet entry can be expanded and collapsed. When expanded, the appropriate contents of each sheet are displayed as shown in the image below.

You can use the panel to easily navigate in the design space. When an item is selected in the panel or design space, the Properties panel (if open) displays the properties and settings of the selected item. Additionally, when you select an item in the Bookmarks panel, the design space zooms to the selected item.

For more information, refer to the Creating a Manufacturing Drawing page.

Data Management Improvements

SiliconExpert Enhancements

Added SiliconExpert Product Change Notice

The Product Change Notice (PCN) provided by SiliconExpert has been added to the Manufacturer Part Search panel and to all places where part choices can be accessed. By default, the latest PCN data is shown. Use the Historical Details control to open the Product Change Notice Historical Details dialog, where details on previous PCNs can be browsed.

Javascript ID: SE_PCN

Access the latest and historical PCNs from the Manufacturer Part Search panel.

Access the latest and historical PCNs from a part choice (the Components panel is shown as an example here).

Added SiliconExpert 'Free' Parameters Support

The Lifecycle, YTEOL and RoHS Status parameters provided by SiliconExpert are now presented by default in the Manufacturer Part Search panel and all places where part choices are presented. Therefore, there is no need to request data for this part (and hence, use the quota from your SiliconExpert package) to access these 'free' parameters.

Javascript ID: FreeSEParameters_AD24_2

Access 'free' parameters provided by SiliconExpert from the Manufacturer Part Search panel.

Access 'free' parameters provided by SiliconExpert from a part choice (the Components panel is shown as an example here).

Also, these SiliconExpert 'free' parameters can be used in ActiveBOM (by adding corresponding columns to the ActiveBOM document) without requesting all other SiliconExpert parameters.

Added Display of the YTEOL Parameter

The YTEOL parameter is now displayed in the following locations:

  • In the header of the Details pane when a manufacturer part is selected in the Manufacturer Part Search panel.
  • In the header of the Details pane when a component is selected in the Components panel.
  • In all places where part choices are presented.
  • In the Properties panel when a component placed on a schematic sheet is selected.
Javascript ID: SE_YTEOL_AD24_2

Displaying the YTEOL parameter in the Manufacturer Part Search panel.

Displaying the YTEOL parameter in the Components panel and in part choices.

Displaying the YTEOL parameter in the Properties panel for the selected component.

Added Support for SiliconExpert Parameters when Comparing Manufacturer Parts

SiliconExpert parameters are now supported in the Selected Part Details pane of the Manufacturer Part Search panel when comparing two selected parts.

For more information, refer to the Pulling Part Data from SiliconExpert page.

When exploring a solution added in the form of a manufacturer link to an ActiveBOM document if there are multiple sources of the lifecycle data for that manufacturer link (Altium Parts Provider powered by Octopart or IHS Markit® and SiliconExpert), the lifecycle information from all available sources is now accessible for the link. Hover the cursor over the manufacturer lifecycle state or use the drop-down to see the lifecycle information from all sources in the tooltip/pop-up.

For more information, refer to the Managing the Solutions page.

Import/Export Improvement

Importing the Footprints into Existing Project Structure for Xpedition

For an Xpedition library (*.lmc) whose schematic symbols (only) were previously imported using the xDX Designer Import Wizard with the Import Symbols Only option enabled, you can now choose to import footprint models into a PCBLib as part of the existing project structure. Footprints will be renamed in accordance with the naming defined in the existing CSV file generated as part of the xDX Designer import process.

Note that starting from this release, footprint names with specific prefixes (BGA, CAP, CAPC, CGA, COUP, DFN, DIO, DR, FILT, FUSE, INDC, INDM, ISOL, LEDC, LEDS, LGA, MECM, OSC, PQ, PS, QFN, QFP, RESC, RESM, SO, TO, VAR, XTA) will include the component height values multiplied by 100 in the generated CSV files to provide unique naming of footprints with differing 3D Body heights. For example, a footprint of height 1.4 and named CAPC2013N will be added to the CSV file as CAPC2013X140N.

When adding an Xpedition library file on the Importing Mentor Expedition Library Files page of the Import Wizard, if previously imported libraries are detected, a confirmation dialog will ask if you would like to import footprints as described above. If you click No, footprints will be imported into a separate folder for generated PCBLib files, and no footprint renaming will be performed.

For more information, refer to the Importing a Design from Xpedition page.

Feature Made Fully Public in Altium Designer 24.2

The following feature is now officially Public with this release:

Altium Designer 24.1

Released: 16 January 2024 – Version 24.1.2 (build 44)

Release Notes for Altium Designer 24.1.2 

Altium Designer 24.0

Released: 13 December 2023 – Version 24.0.1 (build 36) 

Release Notes for Altium Designer 24.0.1

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