New in CoDesigner

In the 3.8 update for Altium MCAD CoDesigner, support for ECAD to MCAD harness synchronization moves to Open Beta, making it available to PTC Creo and SOLIDWORKS engineers with a suitable Altium Designer subscription.

Synchronizing a Harness Design with MCAD CoDesigner

In the 3.8 update to Altium MCAD CoDesigner, support for MCAD-ECAD Harness Synchronization moves from Focused Beta to Open Beta. A harness is a common assembly in many electronic products, and with this update, designers who work in PTC Creo and SOLIDWORKS can now transfer the harness design from ECAD to MCAD, where the harness can be routed and the wire lengths defined. The routed harness can then be transferred back to ECAD, ready for the detailed Draftsman fabrication documentation to be completed.

► Learn more about Synchronizing a Harness Design Project with MCAD CoDesigner

An ECAD harness design, ready to be pushed to MCAD. 

Update Harness Wire Lengths in MCAD

As the harness is routed in MCAD, the wire lengths are automatically calculated. These lengths may need to be adjusted by the mechanical engineer - this ability has been added to MCAD CoDesigner in the 3.8 update. 

When the MCAD assembly is a harness design, the Altium CoDesigner panel now includes a Length of Harness Objects section, as shown below. The MCAD software determines the Calculated Length based on the routing of the harness. If required, a Corrected Length can be entered and Pushed back to ECAD.

Corrected wire length values are pushed to ECAD in place of the calculated length values.

SOLIDWORKS - Store all Design Files in the same Folder

Many mechanical designers prefer to store all of the MCAD Part and Assembly files that make up a single assembly, in the same storage folder. This can now be achieved by enabling the Flat Folder Structure option in the Altium CoDesigner Settings dialog. 

The MCAD design files can be stored using a flat folder structure, if required.

Automatic Removal of Intermediate Files

In MCAD, after successful Pull of the design from ECAD, CoDesigner now deletes the intermediate Parasolid files, pictures and checksum files, leaving only the MCAD files. Note that CoDesigner does not delete the \Orig and \Expt subfolders (even if they are empty), as internal logic relies on their presence.

• Altium Designer 24.0 (or higher) with MCAD CoDesigner extension version 3.8.0.2085
• CoDesigner 3.3 is the latest version available for Altium NEXUS Client.
• CoDesigner 2.10 is the latest version available for Altium CircuitMaker.

This update has been tested on the following MCAD platforms and Add-in versions:

Notes:

1. Altium CircuitMaker only supports Autodesk Fusion 360.
2. Siemens NX is only available to designers as part of an Altium Enterprise Solution. From MCAD CoDesigner 3.8 onwards, there are multiple versions of the installer for MCAD CoDesigner for Siemens NX, to suit different versions of the Siemens NX software. These installers all install identical versions of MCAD CoDesigner, they differ only in their detection of the currently installed version of Siemens NX. For MCAD CoDesigner 3.7 and older there is a single installer, and after installation of MCAD CoDesigner Siemens NX may show a warning when launched that the difference between the current version and the signed version is too great. This warning can be ignored, your installation of MCAD CoDesigner will function correctly. Alternatively, the Show Warning when Loading option in the Customer Defaults dialog in Siemens NX, can be disabled (show image).

The 3.7 update to MCAD CoDesigner brings support for transferring countersink and counterbore definitions between ECAD and MCAD. It also sees the introduction of support for transferring the ECAD Route Tool Path to MCAD, where it becomes an extruded cut. The transfer of project parameters has also been improved, as well as the support for harness definitions. There are also a number of ECAD-MCAD component-linking improvements for MCAD engineers working with Siemens NX.   

Transfer Project and Variant Parameters from ECAD to MCAD

In ECAD, user-defined parameters allow the designer to include critical information precisely where it is needed. This update to CoDesigner brings support for transferring:

• ECAD project-level parameters to the MCAD PCB assembly
• ECAD variant-level parameters to the specific MCAD PCB variant assembly ¹
• ECAD multi-board assembly parameters to the MCAD device assembly ²
• ECAD harness project parameters to the MCAD harness assembly

¹ Not supported by Autodesk Inventor
² Multi-board assemblies are currently supported in CoDesigner for SOLIDWORKS and PTC Creo.

ECAD parameters are now transferred to MCAD properties, for the board, variants, harnesses, and Multi-board assemblies.

Transfer CounterSink and Counterbore Holes to MCAD

CoDesigner now synchronizes Countersink and Counterbore holes between ECAD and MCAD, in both directions. If the 3D Copper option is enabled in MCAD, the precise geometry of copper is built for these holes (note that CoDesigner for Autodesk Fusion 360 does not support building 3D Copper at this stage).

Countersink and counterbore holes can be transferred between ECAD and MCAD.

Transfer the ECAD Route Tool Path to MCAD

A popular technique for removing each board from its fabrication panel is to mechanically route a cutout around the edge of the PCB. In Altium Designer, this is defined as a Route Tool Path, created as a continuous path of tracks and arcs on the mechanical Route Tool Path layer. CoDesigner now supports transferring the ECAD Route Tool Path entity to MCAD, where it is represented as an extruded cut. If that entity is changed in MCAD, it is transferred back to ECAD as a board cutout.

The ECAD route tool path becomes a series of extruded cuts in MCAD.

Siemens NX - Improved Component Linking

Component Linking allows the MCAD and ECAD engineers to each use native component models on their instance of the board design, by mapping references to each other's models in the Altium Workspace. Learn more about Linking MCAD and ECAD Design Components.

MCAD to ECAD Linking

MCAD model to ECAD footprint linking is defined by mapping an MCAD model property to an ECAD component parameter in your Altium Workspace. Previously, CoDesigner could only map ECAD parameters to a single Category of NX model Properties, limiting the options for component linking. With this release, CoDesigner now supports defining both the Teamcenter Category and the Property in the MCAD model property used for mapping and recognition field in the Workspace.

The format is: <CategoryName>::<PropertyName>

The linking Teamcenter Category and Property are mapped in the Workspace settings, using the syntax <CategoryName>::<PropertyName>.

ECAD to MCAD Linking

During pull into MCAD, CoDesigner can be configured to search the MCAD data management system for an MCAD model of that name. If native ECAD-to-MCAD component linkage is used in Siemens NX, the MCAD component reference must be defined in the ECAD component parameter so that it includes the Teamcenter path, with the parameter value in the form:

:root_TC_folder:subfolder1:subfolder12:model_name

The 3.7 update to CoDesigner improves this, adding support for mapping to the Teamcenter Part Identifier. If the ECAD component parameter value does not start with the : character, CoDesigner assumes that the parameter value is the Teamcenter Part Identifier, and will search Teamcenter for a part with that identifier. 

The ECAD component parameter can now be configured to search for the Teamcenter Part Identifier.

Siemens NX - Support for Custom Template Configuration and Attributes

CoDesigner now supports custom configurations for templates with Siemens NX, which can include mandatory parameters with (or without) project properties. This is done through the template_parameters_mapping.xml configuration XML file. This feature works for assembly or part creation where a template is used.

► Learn more about the XML configuration file

Support for Twisted Pairs in Harness Design

When you use CoDesigner to synchronize a Harness project between ECAD and MCAD, CoDesigner now synchronizes Twisted Pairs with MCAD as Cables, and calculates the physical length of wires considering the Twists per Unit Length and Thickness properties defined in the ECAD Twist object.

The Twists per Unit Length and Thickness are defined as parameters of the ECAD harness Twist object.

The untwisted length of wire is calculated as:

Wire Length (untwisted) = Turn Length x Number of Turns

where:

• Number of Turns = Twists per Unit Length * Cable Length
  • Twists per Unit Length = number of twists per unit length of cable, defined as a parameter of the ECAD Twist object
• Turn Length = sqrt((Twist Pitch)^2 + (pi*Thickness)^2)
  • Twist Pitch = 1 / Twists per Unit Length
  • Thickness = outer diameter of the twisted pair, defined as a parameter of the ECAD Twist object

► Learn more about Synchronizing a Harness Design Project (available for PTC Creo and SOLIDWORKS)

• Altium Designer 24.0 (or higher) with MCAD CoDesigner extension version 3.7.0.2033
• CoDesigner 3.4 (and higher) is not available for Altium NEXUS Client, CoDesigner 3.3.0 is the latest version.
• CoDesigner 3.x is not available for Altium CircuitMaker; CoDesigner 2.10 is the latest version.

This update has been tested on the following MCAD platforms and Add-in versions:

Notes:

1. Altium CircuitMaker only supports Autodesk Fusion 360.
2. Siemens NX is only available to designers as part of an Altium Enterprise Solution. Note that newer versions of Siemens NX may show a warning that the difference between the current version and the signed version is too great. Siemens NX has been tested up to v.2312, this warning can be ignored. Alternatively, the Show Warning when Loading option in the Customer Defaults dialog in Siemens NX, can be disabled (show image).

Building on CoDesigner's support for Multi-board assemblies in SOLIDWORKS, the 3.6 update of MCAD CoDesigner adds support for synchronizing the harness, which can then be included as part of the Multi-board assembly. Support for SOLIDWORKS 2024 has also been added. Support for previewing changes in a Multi-board assembly is also added in this release of CoDesigner, and all supported MCADs now have improved support for rigid-flex board edge detection.

Synchronizing a Harness Design Project in SOLIDWORKS (Beta)

Wiring harnesses are commonly found in many assemblies, electrically connecting the various PCBs in the device, as well as wiring in the various buttons, displays and controls that the user interacts with. Building on the SOLIDWORKS support for Multi-board assemblies, Harness synchronization supports transferring the Harness elements from ECAD to MCAD (connectors, wires, splices, connectivity (from-to data) and harness topology, as well as the MCAD to ECAD transfer of the physical lengths of wires, cables, and harness segments.

The 3D model of the Harness can also be sent to ECAD during Multiboard Assembly synchronization, along with the mechanical enclosure parts.

► Learn more about Synchronizing a Harness Design Project in Altium MCAD CoDesigner.

Using CoDesigner, you can collaboratively design the harness in SOLIDWORKS and Altium Designer.

Support for SOLIDWORKS 2024

Support for SOLIDWORKS 2024 has been added in the 3.6 updates to Altium MCAD CoDesigner.

Altium MCAD CoDesigner now supports SOLIDWORKS 2024 (image courtesy of Dassault Systemes)

Preview of Changes in a Multi-board Assembly

Multiboard projects, CoDesigner now shows the preview of synchronization changes in both ECAD and MCAD.

Examine the impact of each change in the Multi-board assembly, before Applying.

Support for Nested Projects

CoDesigner now synchronizes changes in nested multi-board projects. Previously, each of the nested Multi-board projects had to be synchronized separately.

Improved Rigid-Flex Board-Edge detection

The algorithm for detecting the board contours on Push from ECAD has been improved. Cases where a board region includes very sharp angles, such as tangential curves, are no longer considered an error. They are now flagged as a warning during Push, and may be accepted during Pull into MCAD.

Support for Pushing rigid-flex board regions that include sharp angles has been improved.

Improved Support for Rigid-Flex Bends in SOLIDWORKS

Previously, CoDesigner for SOLIDWORKS did not process bends in a flex region correctly if there was a large number of bends within that region. This limitation has been removed.

• Altium Designer 23.9.1 (or higher) with MCAD CoDesigner extension version 3.6.0.1976
• CoDesigner 3.6 is not available for Altium NEXUS Client, CoDesigner 3.3.0 is the latest version.
• CoDesigner 3.x is not available for Altium CircuitMaker; CoDesigner 2.10 is the latest version.

This update has been tested on the following MCAD platforms and Add-in versions:

Notes:

1. Altium CircuitMaker only supports Autodesk Fusion 360.
2. Siemens NX is only available to designers as part of an Altium Enterprise Solution. Note that newer versions of Siemens NX may show a warning that the difference between the current version and the signed version is too great. Siemens NX has been tested up to v.2306, this warning can be ignored. Alternatively, the Show Warning when Loading option in the Customer Defaults dialog in Siemens NX, can be disabled (show image).

The 3.5 release of Altium MCAD CoDesigner brings Multi-board assembly support to PTC Creo, as well as the introduction of a new capability, the ability to synchronize a Harness design between ECAD and MCAD (Creo-only for the initial Beta release). Harness synchronization supports pushing the harness defined on the ECAD Multi-board assembly to PTC Creo, where the mechanical engineer can define the cable routing through the enclosure, and the connections to the printed circuit boards. The Harness definition can then be pushed from MCAD back to ECAD as part of the multi-board assembly.

Synchronizing a Harness Design Project (Beta)

An element found in many assemblies is one or more wiring harnesses. Harnesses are used to electrically connect the various PCBs in the device, as well as wiring in the various buttons, displays and controls that the user interacts with. Building on the support for Multi-board assemblies in PTC Creo (see the following feature highlight), Harness synchronization supports the transfer of the Harness elements from ECAD to MCAD (connectors, wires, splices, connectivity (from-to data) and harness topology, and the MCAD to ECAD transfer of the physical lengths of wires, cables and harness segments.

The 3D model of the Harness can also be sent to ECAD during Multiboard Assembly synchronization, along with the mechanical enclosure parts.

► Learn more about Synchronizing a Harness Design Project in Altium MCAD CoDesigner.

Use CoDesigner's support for Harnesses to work collaboratively on the harness design.

Support for Multi-board Assemblies in PTC Creo

Many electronic devices are built as an assembly of multiple circuit boards, cleverly shaped and arranged within a mechanical enclosure to deliver an aesthetic and useful product. Altium's electronic design (ECAD) software supports this, where multiple PCBs can be bought together to create an assembly of PCBs, called a Multi-Board Assembly. This assembly can also include the enclosure and other mechanical elements that make up the product.

A multi-board assembly open in Altium's Multi-board Assembly editor.

The process of assembling the PCBs into the enclosure is best performed in MCAD. But the PCBs will be designed in ECAD, and the ECAD engineer may also need to perform electro-mechanical checks, such as component-to-component and component-to-enclosure clearances, as well as checking the access to the human interface elements, such as indicators and displays, buttons, and connectors. There are numerous advantages to being able to synchronize the entire device assembly between the MCAD and ECAD domains, so that the current state of the assembled device can be quickly verified by both the mechanical and electronic design teams.

In Altium CoDesigner 3.5, Multi-board Assembly support moves out of beta. As well as supporting Multi-board Assembly synchronization from SOLIDWORKS, Multi-board Assembly synchronization is now also supported from PTC Creo.

► Learn more about Synchronizing a Multi-board Assembly in Altium MCAD CoDesigner.

Support for Workspace Folders during Pull to MCAD

Altium Workspace folders are now represented in the Select Project from <Workspace> dialog when you Pull a new PCB into MCAD. The dialog can either show all projects across all folders or display projects within their folders. Click the button at the top of the dialog to toggle the display mode, then drill down through folders using the standard Windows techniques.

Project storage folders are now supported in the Select Project <from Workspace> dialog when you click to Pull from MCAD.

Support for PTC Creo 10

Support for PTC Creo Version 10 has been added in the 3.5 updates to Altium MCAD CoDesigner.

Altium MCAD CoDesigner now supports PTC Creo V10 (image courtesy of PTC)

Support for Autodesk Inventor 2024

Support for Autodesk Inventor 2024 has been added in the 3.5 updates to Altium MCAD CoDesigner.

• Altium Designer 23.5.1 (or higher) with MCAD CoDesigner extension version 3.5.0.1900
• CoDesigner 3.5 is not available for Altium NEXUS Client, CoDesigner 3.3.0 is the latest version.
• CoDesigner 3.x is not available for Altium CircuitMaker; CoDesigner 2.10 is the latest version.

This update has been tested on the following MCAD platforms and Add-in versions:

Notes:

1. Altium CircuitMaker only supports Autodesk Fusion 360.
2. Siemens NX is only available to designers as part of an Altium Enterprise Solution.

CoDesigner's default behavior is to push the PCB components back and forth between MCAD and ECAD as Parasolid models. While this delivers a mechanically accurate model to each design domain, it does not allow that model to fully represent the actual component that is mounted into the final product. For designers that need to work with a fully detailed component in each design domain, CoDesigner supports linking the ECAD and MCAD components, allowing the MCAD engineer to work with the MCAD component, and the ECAD engineer to work with the ECAD component.

Siemens NX - Support for Advanced Copper Geometry

CoDesigner represents the copper in the top and bottom layers as decals, giving a visually accurate impression of the copper on each side of the board. If you need a precise definition of the shapes on every copper layer, this release brings advanced copper geometry support to Siemens NX.

Enable the Build 3D Geometry for Copper and Solder Mask option in the Altium CoDesigner Settings dialog to include the copper detail in each signal and plane layer, enable the Build Vias option to include the detail of the copper that connects between the signal and plane layers.

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When the advanced copper geometry options are enabled, each PCB copper layer, soldermask layer, and set of thru-holes is created as an MCAD component in the Assembly Navigator.

Siemens NX - MCAD-to-ECAD Component Placement and Recognition

CoDesigner for Siemens NX now supports linking from the MCAD component to the equivalent ECAD component. Include a parameter in the MCAD component that references the equivalent ECAD component, specify the linking parameter in the MCAD CoDesigner settings of your Altium Workspace, then when you Push the board from MCAD to ECAD the board will load into ECAD with the fully-described ECAD component, placed directly from your Altium Workspace into the ECAD PCB.

► Learn more about Linking from the MCAD Components to the ECAD Components

Siemens NX - ECAD-to-MCAD Component Placement from TeamCenter

With this release, CoDesigner in Siemens NX can now place the MCAD component from TeamCenter when you Push from ECAD to MCAD. Specify which ECAD parameter holds the TeamCenter MCAD component name, and specify this parameter in the MCAD CoDesigner settings of your Altium Workspace, and you're ready to go. When the design is Pushed from ECAD to MCAD, the ECAD component is automatically replaced with the MCAD component, placed directly from TeamCenter.

► Learn more about Linking from the ECAD Components to the MCAD Components

MCAD Data Management System - Specify the MCAD Component as an ECAD Footprint Parameter

If you use the automatic placement of component models from an MCAD Data Management System, CoDesigner now supports taking the name of the MCAD model from an ECAD custom Footprint property, in addition to the custom Component parameter used previously. This feature better supports the many-to-many relationships between the components and footprints.

As well as being able to specify the MCAD model name as a parameter of the ECAD component, you can also specify it as an ECAD footprint parameter if you prefer,
the Use models from data management system on MCAD side when creating PCB assembly option supports both approaches.

The logic that CoDesigner now follows is, on push from ECAD, CoDesigner:

1. Checks if the Use models from data management system on MCAD side when creating PCB assembly option is enabled in your Altium Workspace, and if enabled;
2. checks if the parameter name specified in the Workspace option is present as a model name mapping parameter assigned in the footprint, and if it is and not empty;
3. sends the parameter and its value to MCAD as part of the Push;
4. and then on Pull into MCAD, takes the MCAD model from the MCAD storage according to the value of the footprint parameter. If the footprint parameter is not assigned, or if it is empty, CoDesigner takes the MCAD model name from the Component parameter instead (if it is not empty).

Advanced Rigid-Flex Support Moves Out of Beta

For the MCAD tools that support rigid-flex, this release sees the Public release of support for the Advanced mode of Rigid-Flex design (also referred to as RF2). At this stage, rigid-flex is supported by SOLIDWORKS and PTC Creo.

► Learn more about Synchronizing a Rigid-Flex Board

• Altium Designer 22.11.1 (or higher) with MCAD CoDesigner extension version 3.4.0.1859
• CoDesigner 3.4 is not available for Altium NEXUS Client, CoDesigner 3.3.0 is the latest version.
• CoDesigner 3.x is not available for Altium CircuitMaker, CoDesigner 2.10 is the latest version.

Notes:

1. Altium CircuitMaker only supports Autodesk Fusion 360.
2. Siemens NX is only available to designers as part of an Altium Enterprise Solution.

• Altium Designer 22.6 (or higher) with MCAD CoDesigner extension version 3.3.0.1753
• Altium NEXUS Client 5.6 to 5.8, with MCAD CoDesigner extension version 3.3.0.497
• CoDesigner 3.x is not available for Altium CircuitMaker; CoDesigner 2.10 is the latest version.

This update has been tested on the following MCAD platforms and Add-in versions:

Notes:

1. Altium CircuitMaker only supports Autodesk Fusion 360.
2. Siemens NX is only available to designers as part of an Altium Enterprise Solution.

Demo Mode for CoDesigner

CoDesigner now includes a demo mode in MCAD. To access the Demo mode, you will need:

• an Altium Account, with a username that is not currently a member of an existing Altium Workspace,
• a supported MCAD solution,
• with the latest version of the Altium MCAD CoDesigner Add-in installed.

If your Account username is not currently a member of an Altium Workspace, then once you have signed into CoDesigner in your MCAD software, the Altium CoDesigner panel will include information on how to access a demo project.

If you are not currently a member of a Workspace, demo mode will be available after signing in to Altium MCAD CoDesigner.

In Demo mode, the mechanical engineer can:

1. Build the model of Demo PCB in the MCAD’s native format, check the structure of the model, and check how to associate/constrain the model with the enclosure.
2. Pull a design change and explore the Change control features (CoDesigner simulates ECAD changes to the Demo PCB).
3. Build precise 3D geometry of copper (building 3D copper is not yet supported in Autodesk Fusion 360 and Siemens NX).
4. Check the mechanical PCB definition, including: changing the board shape, the placement of components, creating mounting holes, and creating keepouts/rooms.

If you have Pulled the simulated changes into MCAD, you can click on an entry to highlight that change on the board (shown in purple).

Open the PCB in the Altium Web UI from your MCAD Software

In MCAD, you can now open the ECAD version of the PCB/Multiboard project in the Altium Workspace web UI, by clicking the (Open in Web) button at the top of the Altium CoDesigner panel.

• The default is to display the 3D view of the board. You can also use the tabs at the top to explore the SCH, the PCB (2D version of the board), the Draftsman document and the BOM (ActiveBOM Bill of Materials).
• Use the icons toward the top right of the Web UI graphical area to: Search for components or nets; or click on a component or net in the graphical display area to show details in the Info panel. The object will highlight simultaneously in the Sch, PCB, 3D and BOM tabs.

Click the Open in Web button in your MCAD software to open the ECAD version of the PCB in your preferred web browser, then use the UI features to explore the design in more detail.

► Learn more about the Browser-based Interface of an Altium Workspace

Easily Fold / Unfold a Rigid-Flex Board

In SOLIDWORKS and PTC Creo, a button has been added to the Altium CoDesigner ribbon to Fold / Unfold a rigid-flex PCB. Previously, the mechanical engineer had to fold/unfold a rigid-flex PCB by manually suppressing / unsuppressing the bend features in the MCAD model tree.

Use the Fold / Unfold button on the Altium CeoDesigner ribbon to quickly toggle the Suppress state of all bends.

Enhanced Detail about Component Parameter Changes

When a design is passed back and forth between the electrical and mechanical design teams and both teams are using component management systems, conflicts could occur when a difference was detected between an ECAD component and a PDM-controlled MCAD component.

In MCAD, CoDesigner now shows detailed information about proposed changes to component properties during ECAD-to-MCAD sync. Previously component changes were represented by a single record in the list of changes, now that change can be expanded to reveal detailed information about name changes, footprint changes, and edited or modified properties, for each modified component.

This level of detail helps the mechanical engineer quickly investigate when the ECAD and MCAD libraries are no longer synchronized, perhaps due to automatic changes made by MCAD or PDM on the previous sync, and make a decision on the impact on the design.

Expand the Change entry to examine what component parameter synchronization is required.

Support for PTC Creo 9

Support for PTC Creo Version 9 has been added in the 3.2 updates to Altium MCAD CoDesigner.

Altium MCAD CoDesigner now supports PTC Creo V9 (image courtesy of PTC)

• Altium Designer 22.6 (or higher) with MCAD CoDesigner extension version 3.2.0.1730
• Altium NEXUS Client 5.6 to 5.8, with MCAD CoDesigner extension version 3.2.0.490
• CoDesigner 3.x is not available for Altium CircuitMaker; CoDesigner 2.10 is the latest version.

This update has been tested on the following MCAD platforms and Add-in versions:

Notes:

1. Altium CircuitMaker only supports Autodesk Fusion 360.
2. Siemens NX is only available to designers as part of an Altium Enterprise Solution.

The focus of this release is the introduction of support for boards designed using the Advanced Rigid-Flex mode in the Altium PCB editor (also known as Rigid-Flex 2, or RF2). In ECAD, the Advanced Rigid-Flex mode brings support for more complex rigid-flex designs, including: designs with overlapping flex regions, bends within an internal PCB cutout, and custom-shaped rigid-flex splits.

Enhanced Rigid-Flex Design (Beta)

Adding support for the Advanced Rigid-Flex mode to CoDesigner brings the following improvements in ECAD-MCAD rigid-flex support:

• Flex regions with different thicknesses
• Separate flexible regions that overlap each other
• Representation of copper and silkscreen on the rigid regions in MCAD in SOLIDWORKS
• A local bend (a bend that is localized to a flex region that is within a cutout in a larger flex region)

An Advanced Rigid-Flex design with overlapping flex regions of different thicknesses, open in Altium Designer and in PTC Creo.

Structure of an Advanced Rigid-Flex (RF2) Board in MCAD

Below is a summary of the MCAD structure of an Advanced Rigid-Flex board:

• Each rigid region of an RF2 design is represented by an Assembly, which includes that rigid part (region) of the board, and components mounted on that region (very similar to how a rigid PCB is modeled in MCAD).
• Each flex region of the board is represented by a sheet metal part. Within this part, each ECAD Bend Line is defined as a Sketched Bend. Note that a bend that can be Pushed from ECAD might not be formed correctly in MCAD, due to the bend requirements of that MCAD tool. Also, note that components on flex regions are not yet supported.
• For cutouts that extend through multiple board regions, separate cut extrudes are created in MCAD. If the mechanical engineer wants to change the shape of such a cutout in MCAD, they will need to change all of those extrudes.

Notes on Working with Advanced Rigid Flex Boards

1. For an RF2 board in ECAD, each X-Y region of the board is drawn as a separate object, which then has a substack assigned to it (whereas in an RF1 board you define the overall board shape, and then place Split lines to divide it into the required board regions). Gaps between adjacent regions in an RF2 are not permitted, they must exactly touch or overlap. If two regions overlap, the software assumes that the shared zone belongs to the region with the greater number of layers. Using this knowledge, it can be easier to extend a flexible region into the adjacent rigid region if it is difficult to align their edges. Learn more about Planning Rigid & Flex Regions - Advanced Mode.
2. The ECAD PCB editor includes a number of tools to help create regions from existing line/arc objects, learn more about Creating Board Regions from Selected Objects.
3. In ECAD, each unique set of layers (substack) must be defined, either by copying existing layers to create the new substack or by adding layers to define a unique substack. Learn more about Adding and Editing a New Substack.
4. RF2 mode supports flexible regions that overlap each other in 3-dimensional space. To support this, when a Bend Line is placed in Board Planning Mode in ECAD the designer must ensure that the Bend is applied to the correct flexible Stack Region (show image). If this is not done, an unaffected region warning will be displayed when the design is Pushed from ECAD to MCAD (show image).
5. The structure of the PCB assembly in RF2 mode in SOLIDWORKS differs from the structure of the assembly in RF1 mode in SOLIDWORKS, so if the mode is switched from RF1 to RF2 in ECAD, it's recommended to do a fresh Pull of the board in SOLIDWORKS. In Creo, the structure of the PCB assembly is unified for both RF1 and RF2, so you will not see any change in the MCAD feature tree.
6. The decals representing the top/bottom copper, silkscreen, and soldermask are now applied to the rigid regions in RF2 mode in SOLIDWORKS.
7. At this stage, the creation of new regions and bends in MCAD is not supported in boards using the Advanced Rigid-Flex mode.
8. When editing the geometry of the PCB in MCAD, keep in mind that there is no associativity between the geometry of the neighboring regions. If the geometry of one region is modified, please adjust the geometry of the neighboring region to suit.
9. If you make significant changes to the geometry, for example, change the set of edges, the constraints in MCAD may be broken. This is normal, they will be restored on the next MCAD-ECAD-MCAD synchronization.
10. After making changes to bends, an MCAD Rebuild operation will be required in most cases.
11. If your designs are stored in Altium 365, the automatic push that happens after you Save the project to the server will not process your rigid-flex board changes (the RF2 changes have not been added to the ECAD server-side automatic push yet). After saving a rigid-flex project to the server, you must also manually Push your PCB to MCAD in the MCAD CoDesigner panel.
12. Defining Keep Out Areas (ECAD Keepouts), Text Note Rooms (ECAD Rooms), building 3D copper, and specifying the enclosure in the PCB definition in MCAD (and sending the enclosure to ECAD), are not currently supported for rigid-flex boards.

13. The flexible regions of your PCB design are modeled in MCAD as sheet metal. Each MCAD tool has its own set of tests that it applies to verify that a bend can be formed in the sheet metal, taking into consideration the:

    1. Board thickness

    2. Bend Radius

    3. Bending angle

    4. Distance between bending area and region border

    It is not possible in ECAD to verify that a bend will satisfy all of the sheet metal bending requirements when the board is Pushed from ECAD to all supported types of MCAD. For this reason, you may find that the board Pushes successfully, but not all bends can be created when that board is Pulled into MCAD. If the bend fails, try increasing the Bend radius, or increasing the distance between the edge of the Bend Zone and the edge of the flexible region of the board that the Bend is located on.

Support for SOLIDWORKS 2023

SOLIDWORKS 2023 is now in Beta, CoDesigner 3.1 has been updated to support it.

• Altium Designer 22.6 (or higher) with MCAD CoDesigner extension version 3.1.0.1709
• Altium NEXUS Client 5.6 to 5.8, with MCAD CoDesigner extension version 3.1.0.487
• CoDesigner 3.x is not available for Altium CircuitMaker; CoDesigner 2.10 is the latest supported version.

This update has been tested on the following MCAD platforms and Add-in versions:

Notes:

1. Altium CircuitMaker only supports Autodesk Fusion 360.
2. Siemens NX is only available to designers as part of an Altium Enterprise Solution.
3. This was 3.1.0.34 at release on 4th October. This later version has been supplied due to Symantec Antivirus having, presumably erroneously, detected the previous version as being a virus. There are no changes in functionality with this later version.

Altium CoDesigner 3.0 introduces support for synchronizing an MCAD device assembly with an ECAD Multi-board assembly. This feature is initially being beta-released for SOLIDWORKS, with other MCAD tools to follow in upcoming releases.

Support for Multi-board Assemblies

Building a device from a number of assemblies is the standard approach to developing a product in mechanical CAD software. Altium's electronic design software supports a similar concept, where multiple PCBs can be bought together to create an assembly of PCBs, called a Multi-Board Assembly. This assembly can also include the enclosure.

A multi-board assembly open in Altium's Multi-board Assembly editor.

The process of assembling the PCBs into the enclosure is best performed in MCAD. But the ECAD engineer may also need to perform electro-mechanical checks, such as component-to-component and component-to-enclosure clearances, as well as checking the access to and labeling of the human interface elements, such as indicators and displays, buttons, and connectors. There are numerous advantages to being able to synchronize the entire device assembly between the MCAD and ECAD domains, so that the current state of the assembled device can be quickly verified by both the mechanical and electronic design teams.

The release of Altium CoDesigner 3.0 sees the introduction of support for synchronizing the MCAD device assembly with the ECAD multi-board Assembly. This initial beta release supports SOLIDWORKS, with support for other MCADs to be added in upcoming releases.

► Learn more about Synchronizing a Multi-board Assembly in Altium MCAD CoDesigner.

The slides below show a summary of synchronizing a Multi-board assembly between MCAD and ECAD. This order of steps is not fixed, for example, the slides show a sequence where the individual PCBs have been Pulled from ECAD and assembled into the MCAD enclosure, before deciding to transfer the entire assembly to ECAD.

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Push the Individual PCBs from ECAD Each PCB must be Pushed from ECAD, Pulled into MCAD, and saved as an assembly. Push the ECAD Multi-board Assembly Include the individual PCBs in the ECAD Multi-board assembly (their position can be left undefined) and Push the MBA from ECAD. Create the Device Assembly in MCAD Include the enclosure and one or more of the PCB MCAD assemblies (alternatively, the PCBs can be added later). Recognize the PCBs If one or more of the PCB assemblies has been added, clicking this button tells CoDesigner that each of the PCBs that it can detect is part of this MCAD device assembly. Link Multiboard If the PCBs have been recognized, you can link the MCAD device assembly to the ECAD Multi-board Assembly by selecting the Link Multiboard command from the dropdown menu at the top of the Altium CoDesigner panel, as shown above. If the PCBs have not been recognized yet, use the Link Multiboard button on the Altium CoDesigner panel. Define the Enclosure Select the enclosure in the MCAD feature tree, then click the Enclosure button on the Altium CoDesigner ribbon. CoDesigner now recognizes this part/assembly as the enclosure and will indicate this in the Multiboard Definition section of the Altium CoDesigner panel. Push the Assembly from MCAD CoDesigner pushes the location and orientation of each PCB to ECAD, along with the enclosure if it has been defined. Pull the Assembly into ECAD Pull the finished assembly into ECAD in the MCAD CoDesigner panel in the Multi-board Assembly editor in ECAD. The Completed Assembly in ECAD The engineer can now examine the finished Multi-board Assembly in ECAD.

► Learn more about Synchronizing a Multi-board Assembly with Altium CoDesigner

Fusion 360 - Support for Working with the Device Assembly

Autodesk Fusion 360 now supports working in the context of the Device Assembly. CoDesigner in Fusion 360 now recognizes the PCB and the enclosure, supporting exchanging the enclosure between MCAD and ECAD (these capabilities are already supported in other MCADs).

Select the enclosure in the model tree, then click the Enclosure button on the Altium CoDesigner button - check the panel to confirm it has been recognized.

Automatic CoDesigner Push when you Save to Server

When you perform a Push from ECAD in CoDesigner, you are not pushing the PCB file to the Altium Workspace, you are pushing a special ECAD-to-MCAD data package. This package includes: the PCB data, layer geometry, the component 3D models in Parasolid format, and the copper geometry (if that option is available and enabled).

Saving the PCB project to the Workspace is performed independently from a Push to MCAD. This separation of MCAD Pushing and Saving to Server can be a source of confusion, where an electrical engineer might think that the Save to Server they performed at the end of the day meant that everyone else who needs access to that design data, is now up-to-date and ready-to-go.

To simplify the process of keeping files in sync, the Workspace now performs an automatic MCAD Push, whenever a Save to Server is performed on the PCB project in ECAD.

An MCAD Push is now automatically performed when the project is Saved to the Server.

When the MCAD engineer performs a Pull, they are alerted to the fact that the last MCAD Push was automatic, as shown in the slides below. There is no change to how manual MCAD Pushes are flagged in the Altium CoDesigner panel.

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Keepouts and Rooms

Keepouts and Rooms created or changed in ECAD are no longer displayed by default in MCAD, removing visual information that is redundant for the mechanical engineer.

CoDesigner for Siemens NX out of beta

With the release of Altium CoDesigner 3.0, CoDesigner for Siemens NX is no longer in beta.

CoDesigner for Siemens NX is no longer in beta.

• Altium Designer 22.6 (or higher) with MCAD CoDesigner extension version 3.0.0.1610
• Altium NEXUS Client 5.6 to 5.8, with MCAD CoDesigner extension version 3.0.0.474
• CoDesigner 3.0 is not available for Altium CircuitMaker; CoDesigner 2.10 is the latest version.

This update has been tested on the following MCAD platforms and Add-in versions:

Notes:

1. Altium CircuitMaker only supports Autodesk Fusion 360.
2. Siemens NX is only available to designers as part of an Altium Enterprise Solution.