Altium Designer 12 Software Free Download
Altium Designer 12 Software Free Download
Altium Designer is a powerful and easy-to-use PCB design tool that offers a unified environment for schematic capture, board layout, simulation, documentation, and collaboration. Altium Designer 12 is the latest version of the software, which was released in August 2023. In this article, we will show you how to download and install Altium Designer 12 for free.
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Why Choose Altium Designer 12?
Altium Designer 12 has many new features and improvements that make it the best choice for PCB design. Some of the highlights are:
Multi-board assembly: You can easily create and manage complex products that consist of multiple PCBs in a single project. You can view and edit the board-to-board connections, check the fit and clearance of the boards in Native 3D, and generate a complete bill of materials for the whole product.
Harness design: You can design and document cable and wire harnesses that connect your PCBs and other components. You can create schematic symbols for connectors, wires, and cables, and define the pinouts, wire colors, and labels. You can also generate harness drawings and reports.
Mechanical CoDesign: You can collaborate with mechanical engineers using MCAD tools such as SolidWorks, Inventor, or Fusion 360. You can import and export 3D models of your PCBs and components, and synchronize any changes between the ECAD and MCAD domains.
Rigid-flex design: You can design flexible PCBs that bend and fold to fit into tight spaces. You can define the stackup, bend regions, and bend angles of your flex circuits, and see how they look and behave in Native 3D. You can also perform electrical and mechanical analysis on your rigid-flex boards.
Interactive routing: You can route your PCBs faster and easier with the advanced routing tools in Altium Designer 12. You can use push, slide, hug, walkaround, or any angle routing modes to create optimal traces. You can also tune your traces for length or delay, and route in 3D mode.
How to Download Altium Designer 12?
To download Altium Designer 12, you need to have an active subscription plan with Altium. The subscription plans start from USD 355 per month, which gives you access to the latest Altium Designer software, cloud services, learning resources, support, and updates. You can choose from different subscription levels depending on your needs and budget.
If you are not sure whether Altium Designer 12 is right for you, you can try it for free for 15 days. To get the free trial, you need to fill out a form on the Altium website, where you will provide your name, email address, phone number, country, and company name. After submitting the form, you will receive an email with a link to download the software.
How to Install Altium Designer 12?
To install Altium Designer 12 on your computer, you need to follow these steps:
Run the downloaded installer file and follow the instructions on the screen.
When prompted, enter your Altium account credentials or create a new account if you don't have one.
Select the components that you want to install. You can choose from core components (such as schematic editor, PCB editor, simulation engine), optional components (such as libraries, extensions, plugins), or custom components (such as user-defined scripts or templates).
Choose the installation location and click Install.
Wait for the installation to complete and click Finish.
Congratulations! You have successfully installed Altium Designer 12 on your computer. You can now launch the software from the Start menu or the desktop shortcut.
Conclusion
Altium Designer 12 is a powerful PCB design tool that offers a unified environment for schematic capture, board layout, simulation, documentation, and collaboration. It has many new features and improvements that make it the best choice for PCB design. You can download and install Altium Designer 12 for free if you have an active subscription plan with Altium or if you want to try it for 15 days. We hope this article was helpful for you. If you have any questions or feedback, please leave a comment below. How to Use Altium Designer 12?
Once you have installed Altium Designer 12, you can start using it to create and edit your PCB projects. Here are some basic steps to help you get started:
Create a new project: You can create a new project from the File menu or the Start page. You can choose from different project types, such as PCB Project, FPGA Project, Embedded Project, or Script Project. You can also import an existing project from another tool or format.
Add and edit schematic documents: You can add schematic documents to your project from the Project menu or the Projects panel. You can use the Schematic Editor to draw and edit your circuit diagrams, add components from the libraries, and define the design rules and parameters.
Add and edit PCB documents: You can add PCB documents to your project from the Project menu or the Projects panel. You can use the PCB Editor to design and edit your board layout, place and route components, and perform design verification and analysis.
Simulate and debug your design: You can simulate and debug your design using the built-in simulation engine or external simulators. You can set up simulation profiles, run simulations, view waveforms, and debug errors.
Generate output files: You can generate output files for fabrication, assembly, testing, and documentation. You can use the Output Job Editor to configure and manage your output settings, and use the Output Job File Generator to generate the output files.
Collaborate with others: You can collaborate with other designers, engineers, or stakeholders using the cloud services or extensions in Altium Designer 12. You can share your projects, review changes, comment on designs, and track progress.
For more detailed instructions and tutorials on how to use Altium Designer 12, you can visit the Altium website or watch the video series. How to Update Altium Designer 12?
Altium Designer 12 is constantly updated with new features, bug fixes, and performance improvements. To keep your software up to date, you need to have an active subscription plan with Altium. If you have a subscription plan, you can update Altium Designer 12 in two ways:
Automatic update: You can enable the automatic update feature in Altium Designer 12, which will check for updates every time you launch the software. If there is a new update available, you will be notified and prompted to download and install it. You can also customize the update settings, such as the frequency of checking, the download location, and the installation options.
Manual update: You can manually check for updates in Altium Designer 12 by going to the Help menu and clicking on Check for Updates. You will see a list of available updates and their descriptions. You can select the updates that you want to download and install, and click on Update.
Updating Altium Designer 12 will ensure that you have the latest and best version of the software, and that you can enjoy all the new features and enhancements that Altium has to offer. How to Uninstall Altium Designer 12?
If you want to uninstall Altium Designer 12 from your computer, you can follow these steps:
Close Altium Designer 12 if it is running.
Go to the Control Panel and click on Programs and Features.
Find Altium Designer 12 in the list of installed programs and click on Uninstall.
Follow the instructions on the screen to complete the uninstallation process.
Restart your computer if prompted.
Uninstalling Altium Designer 12 will remove the software and its components from your computer. However, it will not delete your projects, libraries, or settings. If you want to delete them as well, you need to manually locate and delete the folders where they are stored. By default, they are located in the following paths:
C:\Users\\Documents\Altium
C:\ProgramData\Altium
C:\Program Files (x86)\Altium
Be careful when deleting these folders, as they may contain important files that you want to keep. You can also back up these folders before deleting them, in case you want to restore them later. How to Get Help and Support for Altium Designer 12?
Altium Designer 12 is a complex and powerful software that may require some help and support from time to time. Whether you are a beginner or an expert, you can find various resources and channels to get the help and support you need. Here are some of them:
Altium website: You can visit the Altium website to access a wealth of information and resources about Altium Designer 12. You can find product documentation, tutorials, videos, webinars, blogs, forums, FAQs, and more.
Altium Academy: You can join the Altium Academy, which is a free online learning platform that offers courses and certifications on Altium Designer 12. You can learn the basics or advance your skills with interactive lessons, quizzes, and projects.
Altium Live: You can attend the Altium Live, which is an annual event that brings together Altium users, experts, partners, and industry leaders. You can network with other designers, learn from the best practices, discover the latest trends and technologies, and get inspired by the keynote speakers.
Altium Support Center: You can contact the Altium Support Center if you have any technical issues or questions about Altium Designer 12. You can submit a support ticket, chat with an agent, or call a phon