Designers using Altium’s next generation electronics design software will now be able to link direct to component suppliers’ databases as they work. This will give them a real insight into component availability and pricing when choosing which device to specify. The first live link from Altium Designer will be to Digi-Key.
Component choice can significantly influence manufacturing costs, production time and the reliability and long-term serviceability of a design. Unavailable parts, for example, can delay release schedules or lead to a redesign, if discovered after the design is complete. Altium’s live links ensure crucial information about a component is available at the start of the design process and that it is retained throughout because once links are established within Altium Designer, the information can be updated at any time.
Altiums CEO, Nick Martin, said: Linking to a components database as extensive as Digi-Keys lets designers make smarter decisions about the components they use.
Electronics designers will no longer be blindsided by a component becoming unavailable half way through a project. Whenever they open their design, they get an accurate picture of whats available and at what cost, even if things have changed within an hour or so.
We want to help organisations break away from the old approach of trying to loosely link parts of the design process through a number of disparate point tools. Instead, we provide access to a single data model from concept to manufacture, within a unified design environment.