| Altium Designer | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Original author | Nick Martin |
| Developer | Altium |
| Initial release | 2005; 21 years ago (2005) |
| Stable release | |
| Written in | Delphi,C#,C++ |
| Operating system | Microsoft Windows |
| Platform | IA-32,x86-64 |
| Available in | English |
| Type | ECAD–EDA,CAM |
| License | Proprietary |
| Website | www |
Altium Designer (AD) is aprinted circuit board (PCB) andelectronic design automation software package for printed circuit boards. It is developed by American software companyAltium Limited. Altium Designer was formerly named under the brandProtel. Altium Designer is no longer offered as a standalone product and is instead available as part of the Altium Develop and Altium Agile platform solutions.
Altium Designer was originally launched in 2005 by Altium, then named Protel Systems Pty Ltd. It has roots in 1985, when the company launched theDOS-based PCB design tool namedProtel PCB (which later emerged intoAutotrax andEasytrax). Originally it was sold only in Australia.[2][3] Protel PCB was marketed internationally by HST Technology since 1986.[3] The product became available in the United States, Canada, and Mexico beginning in 1986, marketed by San Diego–based ACCEL Technologies, Inc., under the nameTango PCB.[3] In 1987, Protel launched the circuit diagram editorProtel Schematic for DOS.
In 1991, Protel releasedAdvanced Schematic andAdvanced PCB 1.0 forWindows (1991–1993), followed by Advanced Schematic/PCB 2.x (1993–1995) and 3.x (1995–1998). In 1998,Protel 98 consolidated all components, includingAdvanced Schematic andAdvanced PCB, into one environment.Protel 99 in 1999 introduced the first integrated 3D visualization of the PCB assembly. It was followed byProtel 99 SE in 2000.Protel DXP was issued in 2003,Protel 2004 in 2004, Altium Designer 6.0 in 2005. Altium Designer version 6.8 from 2007 was the first to offer 3D visualization and clearance checking of PCBs directly within the PCB editor.[citation needed]
Altium Designer's suite encompasses main functional areas:
It integrates with severalcomponent distributors (via theOctopart platform) for access to manufacturer's data, inventory information, lifecycle status, and additional technical information, which is not available in component datasheets.[7][8] It also has interactive3D editing of the board, and esporting of a design intoMCAD file formats (such asSTEP).[9] Users can create multiple types of designs, including multi-layer rigid PCBs with high layer counts, rigid-flex PCBs, flexible printed circuits, and more specialized designs like metal-backed or ceramic PCBs.
Beginning in 2025, Altium restructured its product ecosystem into three integrated platform tiers:Altium Discover,Altium Develop, andAltium Agile. This change marked a transition from standalone products to a unified, cloud-enabled framework. As part of this restructuring,Altium Designer andAltium 365 (a cloud-based infrastructure platform connecting all key stakeholders and disciplines for PCB design)—previously marketed as separate offerings—were incorporated into Altium Develop and Altium Agile family, representing the professional design and collaboration tier of the Altium platform.[10]
Altium Discover is the foundational tier of the Altium platform, designed to help users explore electronic components, access design knowledge, and engage with the Altium ecosystem. It provides intelligence and context around design intent, connecting engineers with component data, suppliers, and learning resources to support early exploration and informed design decisions.[11]
Discover includes:
Discover is intended for users exploring the electronic design landscape—students, hobbyists, or professionals in the early stages of PCB project planning—who seek a solution-oriented environment before moving into active product development.[12]
Altium Develop represents the professional design and collaboration tier of the Altium platform. It brings togetherAltium Designer, the industry-leading PCB design software, andAltium 365, the cloud collaboration environment, into a unified framework for advanced electronic product development. Develop provides continuous, real-time insight across the design lifecycle, enabling multidisciplinary teams to co-create, manage components, and prepare designs for manufacturing.[13]
Develop includes:
Develop is aimed at professional engineering teams building production-ready hardware who require robust design environments, structured collaboration, and system-level integrations that connect electrical, mechanical, and manufacturing domains.[14]
Altium Agile delivers enterprise-grade process management and workflow orchestration for organizations building complex hardware systems. It extends the Altium platform to enable controlled, multi-team collaboration and end-to-end visibility across engineering operations.[15]
Agile includes:
Altium Agile is delivered through two editions: Agile Teams and Agile Enterprise. Each edition is aligned to a distinct organisational profile and set of requirements.
Agile Teams is designed for smaller companies, workgroups, or organisations that face increasing complexity in electronics development
Agile Enterprise is tailored for larger, digitally mature, and often heavily regulated companies that require deeper integrations, stringent compliance, and enterprise-level governance.[16]
| Altium Schematic Editor | |
|---|---|
| Filename extension | .SchDoc |
| Developed by | Altium Limited |
| Type of format | Binary,ASCII[17] |
| Altium PCB Editor | |
|---|---|
| Filename extension | .PcbDoc |
| Developed by | Altium Limited |
| Type of format | Binary,ASCII[17] |
Altium Designer supports import & export of various PCB andCAD data exchangefile formats.[17][18] The tool's native file formats are the binary file formats*.SchDoc and*.PcbDoc.
It can also import and export AutoCAD*.dwg/*.dxf andISO 10303-21 STEP file formats.[17]
It was originally written in 1985 by Nick Martin, of Australia, and sold under the name of PROTEL-PCB. In 1986, ACCEL Technologies, Inc., of San Diego, California, acquired marketing and support responsibilities for the product in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. […] The reference manual was re-written for the American market. ACCEL markets the product under the name Tango-PCB.
