KB: Steps to Follow After the Import

Solution Details

Steps to Follow After Third-Party Tool Conversion to Altium

Post-Conversion Integration and Validation

Once a design is converted from a third-party tool into Altium Designer, it is essential to perform a series of steps to ensure the design is correctly integrated and validated within the Altium environment.

Why These Steps Are Necessary

Converted designs may not automatically align with Altium’s project structure, component libraries, or design rules. Manual intervention is often required to ensure that all elements are correctly linked and that the design meets Altium’s validation criteria.

What to Do

Follow these steps to finalize the conversion:

• Move the converted PCB into the correct project folder
• Link schematic and PCB using ECO or the Item Manager.
• Re-pour polygons and validate PCB design rules.
• Verify schematic ERC and adjust project options.
• Check for unrouted connections in the PCB.
• Compare Gerber outputs with those from the original design tool.

How to Do It

1. Move the converted PCB file into the project that contains the schematic sheets, if it was not already in the same folder once imported.
2. Link footprints and schematic symbols:
   • From the PCB Document, go to Project » Component Links » Perform Update, even if no changes are made.
   • Use Design » Update PCB Document to generate an ECO and apply changes.
   • Alternatively, use the Item Manager with the Automatching feature (if using Altium 365) to replace components with managed library parts.
3. Re-pour polygons:
   • Open the PCB document and use Tools » Polygon Pours » Repour All.
   • Review and adjust design rules in the PCB Rules and Constraints Editor.
4. Verify schematic ERC:
   • Run Project » Validate Project.
   • Adjust project options such as the Connection Matrix and ECO Generation settings via Project » Project Options.
5. Check for unrouted connections in the PCB using the PCB panel in Nets mode or by running Tools » Netlist » Show Nets.
6. Compare Gerber files:
   • Generate Gerber files from the converted PCB.
   • Compare them with the original design tool’s Gerber outputs using a Gerber viewer to ensure consistency.

Additional Notes

• Ensure all components are correctly linked to your preferred libraries to maintain consistency and enable future updates.
• Use version control or backups before making significant changes post-conversion.
• Consider running a full DRC and ERC to catch any overlooked issues during conversion.