Item: Altium Designer
Rating: 9
Author: Jose Perri

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

ALTIUM DESIGNER is the most appropriate tool for the design of electronic equipment, it covers all parts of the process, that is, from conceptual creation to mass production. We can use ALTIUM DESIGNER for the creation of electronic schematics and from there generate the PCB of components, finally, it allows us to generate a list of materials "BOM" for the acquisition of the electronic components.

Pros and Cons

Generate the schematic design of the electronic circuit.
Make the PCB motherboard based on the schematic design.

The development environment can be intimidating for new users due to its complexity.
I would prefer a more atomized user interface since some functions can be accessed from different menus generating unnecessary complexities.

Most Important Features

Facilitate the design process.
Minimize development times.

Return on Investment

Although I am not currently using ALTIUM DESIGNER, it is only for the price of its license. However, the use of the platform reduces work times, generating a positive impact on the associated costs.
When working with colleagues in other countries, ALTIUM DESIGNER is the tool taken as a reference, its use is very useful when exchanging information and files.

Alternatives Considered

My relationship with ALTIUM DESIGNER is from the time I was a student of the Electronic Engineering career, at the university, it was the official tool to carry out the electronic practices and simulations of the circuits studied in class. Then I used ALTIUM DESIGNER as an independent consultant, however, at present I am using KiCad EDA as a design tool since it is free and open-source, although I have a high rating for KiCad EDA, it's a choice over ALTIUM DESIGNER is only because of its economic aspect.

Key Insights

Do you think Altium Designer delivers good value for the price?

Not sure

Are you happy with Altium Designer's feature set?

Yes

Did Altium Designer live up to sales and marketing promises?

Yes

Did implementation of Altium Designer go as expected?

Yes

Would you buy Altium Designer again?

Yes

Likelihood to Recommend

In a professional environment of design and manufacture of electronic equipment, without a doubt, ALTIUM DESIGNER turns out to be the best option! However, the high cost of its license makes us consider the option of using lower-cost alternatives. In the case of small companies or independent developers, free options turn out to be more appropriate, although some functions are not implemented and require more work from the designer.

ALTIUM DESIGNER all electronic circuit design in one place!

Overall Satisfaction with Altium Designer