Introduction to Altium Concord Pro

Altium Concord Pro is a powerful component management system that integrates seamlessly with Altium Designer. It provides a centralized database for managing components, libraries, and design data across teams and projects. With Concord Pro, you can easily share and reuse design assets, ensuring consistency and reducing duplication of effort.

Key Features of Altium Concord Pro

Feature	Description
Component Management	Centralized database for managing components and their properties
Library Management	Organize and share component libraries across teams and projects
Design Data Management	Version control and release management for design files and documentation
Supply Chain Integration	Integration with part suppliers for real-time pricing and availability information
Collaboration	Share and collaborate on design assets with team members

Accessing Altium Concord Pro from Altium Designer

To take full advantage of Altium Concord Pro’s features, you can access it directly from within Altium Designer. This allows you to seamlessly integrate component management and design data management into your PCB design workflow.

Prerequisites

Before accessing Altium Concord Pro from Altium Designer, ensure that you have the following:

1. Altium Designer installed on your computer
2. An active Altium Concord Pro account
3. Network connectivity to the Altium Concord Pro server

Logging into Altium Concord Pro

To log into Altium Concord Pro from within Altium Designer, follow these steps:

1. Open Altium Designer
2. Go to the “File” menu and select “Altium Concord Pro”
3. Click on “Login”
4. Enter your Altium Concord Pro credentials (username and password)
5. Click “OK” to log in

Once logged in, you will have access to all the features and resources available in your Altium Concord Pro account.

Managing Components with Altium Concord Pro

One of the primary benefits of using Altium Concord Pro is the ability to manage components efficiently. With Concord Pro, you can create a centralized database of components, define their properties, and share them across projects and teams.

Creating Components

To create a new component in Altium Concord Pro:

1. Navigate to the “Components” section in Concord Pro
2. Click on the “New Component” button
3. Fill in the component properties, such as name, description, and parametric data
4. Upload any associated files, such as datasheets or symbols
5. Save the component

Component Properties

When creating components in Altium Concord Pro, you can define various properties to provide detailed information about each component. Some common properties include:

Property	Description
Part Number	Unique identifier for the component
Description	Brief description of the component’s function
Manufacturer	Name of the component manufacturer
Datasheet	Link to the component’s datasheet
Footprint	Associated footprint for the component
Symbol	Associated schematic symbol for the component
Parameters	Parametric data, such as voltage, current, and package

Using Components in Designs

Once components are created in Altium Concord Pro, they can be easily used in your designs within Altium Designer.

To use a component from Concord Pro in your design:

1. Open your schematic or PCB design in Altium Designer
2. Go to the “Libraries” panel
3. Select the Concord Pro library containing the desired component
4. Drag and drop the component onto your schematic or PCB
5. The component and its associated properties will be added to your design

Managing Libraries with Altium Concord Pro

In addition to individual components, Altium Concord Pro allows you to manage entire component libraries. Libraries can be created, shared, and version-controlled, ensuring consistency and collaboration among team members.

Creating Libraries

To create a new library in Altium Concord Pro:

1. Navigate to the “Libraries” section in Concord Pro
2. Click on the “New Library” button
3. Provide a name and description for the library
4. Specify the library type (e.g., schematic symbols, pcb footprints)
5. Add components to the library by selecting them from the Concord Pro database
6. Save the library

Sharing Libraries

One of the key advantages of using Altium Concord Pro is the ability to share libraries across teams and projects. This promotes reuse and standardization of components.

To share a library with other team members:

1. Open the library in Altium Concord Pro
2. Click on the “Share” button
3. Specify the team members or groups you want to share the library with
4. Set the appropriate access permissions (e.g., read-only, read-write)
5. Save the sharing settings

Team members with access to the shared library can now use it in their designs, ensuring consistency and reducing duplication of effort.

Design Data Management with Altium Concord Pro

Altium Concord Pro provides powerful design data management capabilities, allowing you to version control and release designs effectively.

Version Control

With Altium Concord Pro, you can version control your design files, including schematics, PCB layouts, and documentation. This allows you to track changes, collaborate with team members, and revert to previous versions if needed.

To version control your design files:

1. Open your project in Altium Designer
2. Go to the “File” menu and select “Altium Concord Pro”
3. Click on “Add to Version Control”
4. Specify the repository and folder where you want to store the versioned files
5. Add a comment describing the changes made
6. Click “OK” to commit the files to version control

Release Management

Altium Concord Pro also supports release management, allowing you to create and manage releases of your designs. Releases represent specific milestones or iterations of your project and can include design files, documentation, and other relevant artifacts.

To create a new release in Altium Concord Pro:

1. Navigate to the “Releases” section in Concord Pro
2. Click on the “New Release” button
3. Provide a name and description for the release
4. Select the design files and artifacts to include in the release
5. Specify any additional release notes or documentation
6. Save the release

Releases can be shared with team members and stakeholders, providing a controlled and traceable way to distribute design information.

Supply Chain Integration with Altium Concord Pro

Altium Concord Pro offers integration with part suppliers, allowing you to access real-time pricing and availability information for components used in your designs.

Supplier Integration

To integrate with part suppliers in Altium Concord Pro:

1. Navigate to the “Suppliers” section in Concord Pro
2. Click on the “Add Supplier” button
3. Select the desired supplier from the list of supported integrations
4. Provide the necessary authentication credentials (e.g., API key)
5. Configure any additional settings or preferences
6. Save the supplier integration

Once integrated, you can access real-time pricing and availability information for components directly from within Altium Concord Pro.

Using Supplier Data in Designs

When using components from Altium Concord Pro in your designs, you can easily access supplier information to make informed decisions about part selection and procurement.

To view supplier data for a component:

1. Open your design in Altium Designer
2. Select a component from the schematic or PCB
3. Right-click on the component and select “Supplier Data”
4. Altium Concord Pro will display real-time pricing and availability information from the integrated suppliers
5. Use this information to optimize your component selection and procurement process

Collaboration with Altium Concord Pro

Altium Concord Pro facilitates collaboration among team members, allowing you to share design assets, communicate, and work together effectively.

Sharing Design Assets

With Altium Concord Pro, you can easily share design assets, such as components, libraries, and projects, with your team members. This promotes reuse, standardization, and efficiency in the design process.

To share a design asset:

1. Open the asset (component, library, or project) in Altium Concord Pro
2. Click on the “Share” button
3. Specify the team members or groups you want to share the asset with
4. Set the appropriate access permissions (e.g., read-only, read-write)
5. Save the sharing settings

Team members with access to the shared asset can now use it in their designs, fostering collaboration and consistency.

Communication and Notifications

Altium Concord Pro provides communication and notification features to keep team members informed and aligned.

Some key collaboration features include:

Feature	Description
Comments	Add comments to components, libraries, and projects for discussion and feedback
Notifications	Receive notifications when changes or updates are made to shared assets
Activity Feed	View a centralized feed of recent activities and changes within Concord Pro
Tasks	Assign tasks and track progress on design-related activities

By leveraging these collaboration features, teams can work together seamlessly, share knowledge, and ensure everyone is on the same page throughout the design process.

FAQ

What are the system requirements for using Altium Concord Pro?

To use Altium Concord Pro, you need:

• Altium Designer installed on your computer
• An active Altium Concord Pro account
• Network connectivity to the Altium Concord Pro server

Ensure that your system meets the minimum requirements specified by Altium for optimal performance.

Can I use Altium Concord Pro with other EDA tools?

Altium Concord Pro is designed to integrate seamlessly with Altium Designer. While it may be possible to use certain features of Concord Pro with other EDA tools, the full range of functionality and integration is optimized for Altium Designer.

How does Altium Concord Pro handle data security?

Altium Concord Pro employs various security measures to protect your data:

• Secure authentication and access control
• Encrypted data transmission
• Regular backups and disaster recovery mechanisms
• Compliance with industry security standards

You can have confidence that your design data is safe and secure within the Altium Concord Pro platform.

Can I import existing component libraries into Altium Concord Pro?

Yes, you can import existing component libraries into Altium Concord Pro. Altium provides tools and utilities to facilitate the migration of legacy libraries into the Concord Pro database. This allows you to leverage your existing component data and standardize it within the centralized system.

How can I get support for Altium Concord Pro?

Altium provides comprehensive support for Concord Pro users through various channels:

• Online documentation and knowledge base
• Community forums and discussion groups
• Email and phone support for licensed customers
• Dedicated customer success teams for enterprise accounts

You can reach out to Altium support through the appropriate channel based on your specific needs and support level.

Conclusion

Altium Concord Pro is a powerful component management system that integrates seamlessly with Altium Designer, enabling efficient management of components, libraries, and design data. By accessing Concord Pro directly from within Altium Designer, you can streamline your design workflow, collaborate with team members, and make informed decisions based on real-time supplier data.

With features like centralized component database, library management, version control, release management, and supply chain integration, Altium Concord Pro empowers teams to work together effectively, reduce duplication of effort, and ensure consistency across projects.

By leveraging the capabilities of Altium Concord Pro, you can take your PCB design process to the next level, improving efficiency, quality, and time-to-market.