互联工作区可与Altium NEXUS协作为项目提供支持。工作区项目针对项目生命周期的开发阶段,简化了版本受控项目的创建和持续工作流程。凭借由工作区控制的集中存储功能,工作区项目成为了其他协作服务的基础。
使用工作区项目的一些主要好处包括:
- 简化存储工作流程。无需决定存储位置。兼顾备份和其他基本服务。
- 奠定协作功能的基础。
- 加强版本控制。
- 发挥专用注释系统的优点。
- 显示通知和状态。包括本地修改在内的文档状态对整个设计团队可见。
- 无需任何复杂设置即可开展并行PCB设计。
- 能够与多人共享项目以进行编辑,或仅用于查看和进行评论。
- 使用“项目历史”时提供完整功能,包括与VCS相关的提交事件。
通过工作区浏览器界面的项目页面进行管理。可通过该界面或Altium NEXUS中的创建项目对话框创建新项目。或者,可将现有项目(本地项目或当前处于外部版本控制下的本地项目)快速提交至工作区。
You can also access a detailed, CAD-centric view of the project which offers Design, Supply, Releases/Manufacture, Activities, and History view options:
- Design – display and navigate source project design documents, view design object properties, and place review comments. This view uses the Web Viewer interface. This view is for the latest version of the source project data, rather than a specified release from that project, and so could be considered to be a work-in-progress (WIP) view. You can view the base design or any defined variant thereof.
- Supply – interactively examine work-in-progress (WIP) BOM data extracted from the design documents, including entries for Manufacturer and Supplier parts data derived from a project's populated ActiveBOM document.
- Releases (for an Altium 365 Workspace) / Manufacture (for a NEXUS Server Workspace) – view the releases for the project. Access is provided for opening the full release data, or a specific assembly package, which will be presented on a separate tab through a Manufacturing Portal. From this portal, you can view and navigate the released file data, inspect the BOM, and view and comment on the snapshot of the design itself; the source for that released data. From either the Releases/Manufacture view or through the Manufacturing Portal for a specific release, you'll have access to controls for downloading manufacturing data at various levels of granularity (from full data set(s) to individual generated output files). For an Altium 365 Workspace, a chosen release can also be sent – as a Manufacturing Package – directly to your manufacturer; you even have the ability to compare Gerber data between releases or against a locally-generated file set.
- Activities – search, view, and access workflow process activities that apply to the selected project, such as design reviews. Use the sub-tabs for a selected activity to see its live flow Diagram, related Data, and event History.
- History – browse a progressive timeline of major events relating to the project, including its creation, commits, releases, clones, and MCAD exchanges. Each time a supported event happens in association with the project, that event is added to the timeline as a dedicated tile with various actions supported where applicable. For more information, see Management of Projects – Project History.
The beauty of Workspace projects is that they are version-controlled by default, and can be collaboratively worked upon without having to worry about shared drives, servers, agreements, etc. Version control is handled courtesy of the Workspace's built-in Git version control service.
For an Altium 365 Workspace, if your project is under external version control, you can migrate it to be a project under full management of the Workspace that hosts the design files in the Workspace's own Git repository (effectively switching to the Workspace's native VCS). For detailed information on how to do this, see Moving from External VCS to Altium 365 Workspace Native VCS.
You can also simply store project files of an existing project (a local project, or a local project currently under external version control) in the Altium 365 Workspace for basic access and to enable sharing with others for viewing and commenting only. Referred to as Simple Sync, this enables you to take advantage of the collaborative benefits offered through Altium 365.
可重复使用的设计电路
所有产品开发公司都希望能够重复使用设计内容,并从中获取巨大优势。重复使用不仅可以节省时间,而且能够轻松地重复使用先前设计的一部分意味着该部分设计已通过所有资格审查和测试。设计重用不仅仅是复制和粘贴,真正的重用需要锁定内容,以确保它与以前的内容相同。无需通过快速编辑来更改元件的颜色或调整电阻值,使用可重复使用的内容必须像使用现成的元件一样;只要将内容放置到位,并连接,它就能像之前一样运转起来。
Altium NEXUS与互联工作区结合,可以在工作区内创建“托管原理图纸”(通常称为“托管图纸”)。此类条目可以直接从工作区中创建。一旦创建了“托管原理图纸条目”,在未来的板级设计项目中就能重复使用该条目。
托管图纸是包含元件和布线的标准Altium NEXUS原理图纸,它已存储在您的工作区中,因此可以在其他设计中被重复使用。它的编辑方式与任何其他原理图纸无异。托管图纸的概念不限于单个原理图纸,您可以在设计中将托管图纸叠加置于其他托管图纸树的顶部。
托管图纸与“
器件式图纸”的不同之处在于前者存储在您的工作区中,而后者则存储在硬盘驱动器上的文件夹中。因此,它们也具有与工作区内容同等的优势,包括简化的存储过程、完整性保障和内置的版本控制。
从器件式图纸转移到托管图纸后,您可以确保在设计中使用的托管图纸的修订可以被轻松识别并在需要时追溯来源。同时,因为这些图示是工作区中的内容,因此必要时可以对其进行修改和更新;并且所有使用关系都可以下溯到图纸上的元件和上溯到使用该图纸的设计。这样可以确保您掌握所有的信息以决定是否必须将该修订后的图纸推送到现有设计或者某一特定设计是否必须继续使用先前的修订版本。
通过使用工作区的元件来构建更大的设计模块,设计流程变得更加精简,抽象级别更高。设计人员就像从架子上挑选部件一样重新使用这些设计功能的托管图纸,将其作为更大的设计项目的组成部分。已创建并发布到您的工作区的此类电路的托管图纸越多,设计人员可以访问的功能就越多,这反过来又会提高后续设计的生产力。
元件
凭借统一的设计方法,Altium NEXUS一直使用可扩展到电子设计过程各个方面的元件模型。但是,为了将电子设计过程无缝地融入到整个封装产品开发过程中,该模型需要不断发展,经过扩展后涵盖其他方面,包括其他设计过程(特别是MCAD和工业设计)以及与产品开发过程交织的业务流程(例如,采购和制造)。这种经过发展后的对象模型被称为“统一元件模型”。
该元件模型可以有效地将传统电子设计领域中的设计元件概念映射到在更大的“产品领域”的组织其他成员可见的元件上。 一个真正的“统一元件”模型不仅代表不同设计领域(原理图捕获、PCB布局、仿真)中的元件,而且有助于在设计时选择所需的物理元件,即真实世界的制造部件,并在制造装配产品时大大改进采购的成本和时间。
在这种建模范式下,设计人员所看到的设计元件与“制造商和/或供应商”部件是分开的。此信息未被定义为元件的一部分。相反,通过“部件选择”可将设计元件映射到“部件目录”中列出的一个或多个“制造商部件”,这些部件反过来可以映射到一个或多个“供应商”部件上,从而允许设计人员预先说明哪些真实部件可被用于制造设计中使用的任何特定设计元件。
这些元件及其部件选择均存储在互联工作区中 - 这是一个集中存储所有设计数据以供整个设计团队访问的安全位置。
Key Benefits
- Single source of component data – with a Workspace accessible for the entire team, engineers can source up-to-date and standardized components from one secure location, get real-time supply chain data, and use parametric and faceted search to find the exact components they need.
- Company-certified design components – components are released into a Workspace for re-instantiation into a design project. Revision-controlled and lifecycle-managed, a company can authorize the 'set' of components that can be formally used by their designers.
- Design-time choice of physical components – for any given component, you can choose which manufacturer parts can be used to implement that component when assembling the board.
- Real-time supply-chain information – fed back from the aggregate parts database of the Altium Parts Provider (which itself interfaces to and gathers the parts from enabled Suppliers) to let the designer know the current costing and availability of the chosen parts, and from all vendors that sell those chosen parts (as defined in the Workspace's local Part Catalog). This information can be added to a component at any moment, including after release of this component – without directly editing it and hence without impacting designs where it is already used – and then be used as part of a Bill of Materials.
- Use of Component Templates – apply parameter and component taxonomy-based templates, so each new component type automatically has the correct BOM-compliant parameter set in addition to automating the correct naming, revision, and lifecycle schemes.
- Concurrent editing of the library – as the Workspace library is essentially a set of Component Items hosted by this Workspace, multiple users can be editing or creating new components for the Workspace library independently, without having to wait when other users will finish the work on their side.
- Where-used Component Traceability – components can be traced all the way through usages: if a part goes obsolete, you can explore in which designs it was used to know which ones need to be updated. If a symbol or footprint has an error, you can see all the components that use that symbol and footprint so you can fix them.
- Component Lifecycle Validation – if a component is in an “end of life”, “obsolete”, or “abandoned” state, you will be warned before trying to manufacture boards that use it.
- Component Models Reuse – a component can be thought as a 'bucket' into which all parametric information and domain models is stored, including schematic symbol, PCB footprints, and simulation models. A component doesn't contain the domain models themselves but rather links to the relevant model Items that are also in a Workspace, so a single domain model can be used by multiple components. If a model changes, you'll be suggested to update all components that use this model, and this ensures that no component will use an out-of-date model.
- Direct Component Editing – if a component needs to be edited, you can open it for editing directly from within your Workspace. A temporary instance of the Component Editor allows you to edit all aspects of that component, including modifying its referenced domain models without a file-based document in sight.
- Requests of new components – an engineer can submit requests for new (or missing) components to the dedicated librarians and get notified when this component becomes available for use in designs by the requestor and other engineers in the company.
将元件托管在Altium 365工作区时,您可以通过专用的
库健康仪表盘查看有关元件健康状况的更多详细信息。这里提供了与各种问题有关的更详细的信息,有助于您快速地对元件进行相应的评估和修复。
模板
Altium NEXUS可与互联工作区结合,创建和管理在电路板设计项目中使用的各种模板。受支持的模板类型如下:
一旦将模板发布到工作区,该模板即可在未来的板级设计项目中重复使用。
您甚至有机会创建项目模板。此类存储在工作区中的模板包括构成项目的常见文档和文件类型,以及其他参考文档和配置文件。
电路板设计发布
Altium NEXUS提供强大的、完整性较高的电路板设计发布管理。自动化的电路板设计发布过程使您在发布电路板设计项目时无需承担与手动发布程序相关的风险。在发布特定项目的过程中会拍摄设计源快照,并将其与任何生成的输出一起存档——这些内容代表了由该设计项目制成的可由公司出售的有形产品。发布数据存储在互联工作区中项目相关条目的修订版中:
- PCB项目设计条目 - 即设计快照,包括所有源文件。该快照会被发布到工作区的单独条目中,允许您将重要的IP与外部各方构建产品所需的制造和装配生成数据区别开来。
- PCB制造数据条目 - 制造厂制造裸板所需的数据集。
- PCB装配数据条目 - 装配厂根据“材料清单”使用指定的元件填充裸板所需的数据集。对基础(完全填充)设计及其每个定义变体(装配变体)设置独特的条目。
总体结果是进行板设计发布管理时保持尽可能高的完整性。您的实际设计项目不仅会在工作区的本机版本控制下受到严密地监控、备份和管理,而且在目标工作区发布数据时也同样稳健、安全、可靠。
关键优势
项目发布器
发布过程本身通过Altium NEXUS的“项目发布器”来执行,这是一个通过专门的视图 - 即发布视图,来提供的用户界面。
项目发布器提供以下两种操作模式来适应所有类型的PCB项目——本地/非版本控制、外部VCS控制或互联工作区的本地版本控制:
- Online Mode – releasing all generated data to revisions of Items in a target connected Workspace. You don't even have to remember to increment Item Revisions, it is all handled for you. And if you have a process defined for releasing to a PLM instance through the Project Releaser, starting that process will add an additional stage to the view for doing just that.
- Offline Mode – releasing all generated data into a folder-based structure, which can be optionally wrapped up in a single Zip file.
With the Release view in Online Mode
, the release process is a staged flow, with the entries on the left-hand side of the view showing you at-a-glance, which stage you are currently at:
- Configure Server Release – this stage of the release process is where you specify the type(s) of data that you wish to generate (Source Data (always generated), Fabrication Data, Assembly Data (for base design and each detected variant)).
- Validate Project – this next stage of the release process is run automatically when one or more Validation-type reports are detected in assigned OutJob file(s). All defined validation output generators, defined in an Output Job file assigned to the data item being released, are run.
- Generate Data – this next stage of the release process is run automatically. This is where all other outputs – defined in the OutJob file(s) assigned to the included Data Items – are run, to generate the data to be released into the relevant target items in the Workspace.
-
Review Data – with all validation checks passed, and output data generated, this stage of the release process allows you to review the generated data.
If you choose to use the
Prepare & Release or
Prepare & Release & Publish to PLM commands (from the menu associated with the
button), the
Project Releaser will not pause at the
Review Data stage.
- Upload Data – after confirming the release in the previous stage, this next stage is automatically entered. It simply presents the progress of data upload into the revisions of the relevant data Items in the target Workspace.
-
Execution Report – this is the final stage of the process, providing a summary of the release. Navigation links are provided to quickly browse to the generated Item Revisions in the Explorer panel. If you have accessed the Project Releaser as part of a process to release and publish to a PLM, then the button will be presented. Click this to continue the underlying workflow for the process, to publish to the PLM.
If you choose to use the
Prepare & Release & Publish to PLM command (from the menu associated with the
button), the
Project Releaser will not pause at the
Execution Report stage, and no
button will be presented.
-
Publish to PLM – this stage is only present when running the release under the relevant activated process (for releasing and then publishing to a PLM). This stage is entered automatically when the button is clicked in the previous stage (or entered directly if the Prepare & Release & Publish to PLM command (from the menu associated with the button), was used). The Login Credentials dialog will appear. Enter the Username and Password for your PLM instance, and select the PLM Template you want to use (which appears in the form <PLMInstance>:<PublishingTemplate>).
Note that your PLM instance login credentials are only required for the first time you publish to that instance. These will then be stored with the Workspace. After that, any publishing of that project to that same PLM instance will proceed directly, in accordance with the defined workflow and chosen publishing template.
If you're publishing for the first time and part numbers (on the PLM side) are not yet associated with the project, those part numbers will be created in the PLM and associated with the project as part of that initial publication. You also have the ability to define component entries for Workspace components in the PLM instance, as part of the publishing operation – to get a BOM of components within the PLM (optional, based on the publishing templated defined and used when publishing the project to the PLM instance).
如果您的项目当前没有与之关联的输出作业文件,“项目发布器”将检测到这一点,并询问您是否希望创建默认文件。此外,“项目发布器”将检测适用于设计的定义变体,并为每个变体创建待发布的“装配数据”集。
从准备发布到将数据发布到工作区这段时间内,对设计文件进行的任何修改都将被系统自然阻止。如果您以任何方式更改了设计文件,则发布过程将终止,您将返回到发布准备之前的初始阶段。
您可以利用“项目发布器”轻松生成完整性最高的制造数据。您也可以在提交最终发布之前检查生成结果(例如,在“CAM编辑器”中查看Gerbers/ODB++数据),以确保生成的数据是及时首次制造电路板所需的数据。
设计人员普遍使用的一种常见发布就绪测试是将当前版本生成的Gerber文件与先前版本生成的Gerber文件进行比较。一旦项目准备就绪,可进行发布,即可在Project Releaser中进行测试。当您连接到Altium 365工作区后,即可通过Altium 365平台进行比较。您的默认网络浏览器将打开浏览器界面并显示结果。有关更多信息,请参见“
Gerber比较”。
Publication of Released Data
对于从电路板设计项目生成的已发布数据(仅限“PCB制造数据”、“PCB装配数据”和“PCB项目设计条目”),您可以直接将该数据从互联工作区或“输出作业”发布到存储空间,例如,Box.com、Amazon S3、FTP服务器或共享网络上的简单文件夹位置。在分配和协作方面,这一功能为通常分散在全球各地的整个“产品团队”的集体成员——即设计团队、制造团队以及所有其他共同将产品从想法变为现实的参与者——提供了无与伦比的优势。
所谓发布是指定义发布目的地,然后将所需的“条目修订”的已发布数据上传至该目的地。从中国的制造厂到位于基辅、Stanstead Abbotts和圣地亚哥的设计团队,再到飞行在太平洋某处上空的项目总监——每个需要了解新发布版本的人都可以接受邀请通过链接访问已发布的文件夹——根据共享(和受控)访问权限来查看、讨论和利用构建条目所需的数据。
为何不利用Altium 365平台的“制造包查看器”(见下一节)通过定义的“制造包”来实现发布数据的高级共享。
制造封装数据的全球共享
在Altium 365工作区中存储的设计项目的一个关键特点是能够创建并与他人共享发布构建包。与制造商直接共享时,该构建包可被认为是一种“制造包”,因为制造商可以浏览、下载和使用该包来制造和组装电路板。
Altium 365平台提供专用的“制造包查看器”,以支持与他人和您的制造商(可以是组织外人员和制造商)共享此类制造包的能力。“制造包查看器”是平台为支持“全球共享”而提供的功能之一,允许其他人通过位于全球任何地方的任何网络浏览器(但不在您的工作区范围内)查看制造包。如此一来,您的设计以及其他有价值的IP将不会受到限制。
每个共享用户将收到一封电子邮件邀请,使用邮件里的链接可以通过“制造包查看器”查看制造包。共享制造包显示在Altium 365“平台接口”的与我共享页面上。
“制造包查看器”本身允许主要利益相关者——主要是制造人员——查看设计概要以及关键的电路板数据。查看器上还提供“制造”、“装配”和“材料清单”等数据子页面,其中“制造”和“装配”页面使用的是Altium 365的网络查看器界面。
最终,制造人员可以从“查看器”的任何页面下载查看过的发布版本的“构建包”,并据此对电路板进行实际修订。