FAQs

Created: February 08, 2019 | Updated: September 03, 2021 | Applies to versions: 1.0, 1.1 and 2.0

Now reading version 1.1. For the latest, read: FAQs for version 5.0

This documentation page references Altium Concord Pro, which has been discontinued. All your PCB design, data management and collaboration needs can now be delivered by Altium Designer and a connected Altium 365 Workspace. Check out the FAQs page for more information.

General

We are currently using NEXUS Server (or Vault) - What should we do?

Altium Vault and Altium NEXUS Server are no longer undergoing active development. Their support will be sustained through bug-fix updates only. Version 3.0 (Vault) and 1.1 (NEXUS Server) represent the final releases for each.

Rest assured you can use these products for as long as you would like. However, If you'd like to take advantage of the new functions and features, we would encourage that you make the switch to:

Altium Concord Pro if your primary interest is component management and MCAD collaboration.
Altium NEXUS if you want to manage your processes in addition to your managed library, or if you’d like to get your ECAD and PLM environments seamlessly integrated.

If you are not constrained by the need to have a self-managed solution (with a server installed and maintained on your own hardware infrastructure) why not consider activating and using an Altium 365 Workspace delivered through the Altium 365 Platform and available through an Altium Subscription Plan? The Workspace is a dedicated cloud-hosted server for all your managed content. It facilitates the seamless connectivity of, and the mechanics for moving data between the design, manufacturing and supply domains. Interactive, browser-based ECAD collaboration requires no tools or tool knowledge from those who use it. It connects ECAD designers, procurement, and board fabricators and assemblers in a way that makes it easy for them to work together in ways that they could not before. The level of functionality is determined by the type of Subscription Plan you purchase for your Altium Designer software - either the Standard Subscription Plan or the Pro Subscription Plan. To see a detailed list of what is included with the Standard/Pro Subscription Plans, take a look at the Full Plans Comparison.

One of the most powerful aspects of the Altium 365 infrastructure platform is the support for collaboration on a global scale. At the heart of this is the platform's support for Global Sharing. With Altium 365, you can effortlessly share your current design progress with management, purchasing, or a potential manufacturer, in a way that is also easy for them - simplified, interactive collaboration, from any device. Data can be shared with anyone, anywhere in the world. This could be your WIP design shared with others outside of your Workspace team, without the need to invite them into that team. Or maybe a snapshot of a design at an instant in time - shared for comment. Or sharing of release data with your manufacturer through a defined Manufacturing Package, which they can then peruse through the Altium 365 platform's dedicated Manufacturing Package Viewer without them having access to your Workspace and, therefore, keeping your design data out of sight.

What are the major differences between Concord Pro and NEXUS Server/Vault?

Concord Pro serves as the technological successor to Vault and NEXUS Server (not to be confused with Altium NEXUS). With Concord Pro, you retain major functionality while adding new features including bi-directional MCAD communication.

Process-focused capabilities, such as Team Configuration Center and lifecycles with approvals, are not available with Concord Pro. For those customers using the lifecycle approval capabilities, you can continue using the product as is; we will simply transition you to be a customer of our NEXUS team. Your point of contact here at Altium will change to a member of our NEXUS team who will work to ensure your success.

Will I be able to switch between Concord Pro and NEXUS?

Yes. Altium Concord Pro can be your ongoing solution and it can also be a natural stepping stone to Altium NEXUS. Concord Pro brings you component management and MCAD integration. Altium NEXUS brings you all of this plus an agile solution for managed flows and enterprise integrations along with a NEXUS experience that ensures your success. In addition, if you decide to move from Concord Pro to NEXUS, all your designs and data will follow you with ease.

Will Concord Pro replace the DBlibs and will they no longer be supported in Altium Designer?

No. DBlibs (and all other types of libraries) will remain within Altium Designer just as they have been. Altium has never considered discontinuing support for DBlibs (the same goes for SchLib, IntLib, etc.).

I’m currently using DBLibs So why would I need another paid product to do the same thing?

Altium will continue supporting DBlibs and nobody will be forced to make a change. It’s important to understand that Concord Pro and NEXUS are both unique in respect to their management of components compared to DBlibs. Yes, they do everything DBlibs currently do, but they also both include a significant amount of additional capabilities beyond DBlibs. They give you a faster time to market, lower product costs, and allow you to focus more of your time on innovations.

In a similar sense, just as DBLibs are superior to basic SchLibs, Concord Pro represents the next generation of library management, which utilizes newly-available technologies (flat tables are 40 years old). Here are some of the interesting capabilities it brings:

Where-used functionality, which allows you to immediately discover the impact if something is wrong with the component or footprint.
Define multiple ranked alternative part numbers for a single component - you all know the existing part availability “crisis”.
Bi-directional collaboration with the MCAD (including copper!).
Adding and modifying all component data without leaving Altium Designer. No more jumping between MS Access, PcbLib editor and the Digi-Key website.
Automated validation of the component statuses, versions and models.
Full text and parametric search

You can see some of these in action by clicking on the link below.

https://www.altium.com/concord/getting-started

We’re using Altium NEXUS Client now. What should we do?

Unless you are an Altium NEXUS solution customer, we recommend that you use Altium Designer in conjunction with Altium Concord Pro.

If you are not constrained by the need to have a self-managed solution (with a server installed and maintained on your own hardware infrastructure), why not consider activating and using an Altium 365 Workspace delivered through the Altium 365 Platform and available through an Altium Subscription Plan? The Workspace is a dedicated cloud-hosted server for all your managed content. It facilitates the seamless connectivity of, and the mechanics for moving data between the design, manufacturing and supply domains. Interactive, browser-based ECAD collaboration requires no tools or tool knowledge from those who use it. It connects ECAD designers, procurement, and board fabricators and assemblers in a way that makes it easy for them to work together in ways that they could not before. The level of functionality is determined by the type of Subscription Plan you purchase for your Altium Designer software - either the Standard Subscription Plan or the Pro Subscription Plan. To see a detailed list of what is included with the Standard/Pro Subscription Plans, take a look at the Full Plans Comparison.

One of the most powerful aspects of the Altium 365 infrastructure platform is the support for collaboration on a global scale. At the heart of this is the platform's support for Global Sharing. With Altium 365, you can effortlessly share your current design progress with management, purchasing, or a potential manufacturer in a way that is also easy for them - simplified, interactive collaboration, from any device. Data can be shared with anyone, anywhere in the world. This could be your WIP design shared with others outside of your Workspace team without the need to invite them into that team. Or maybe a snapshot of a design at an instant in time shared for comment. Or sharing of release data with your manufacturer through a defined Manufacturing Package, which they can then peruse through the Altium 365 platform's dedicated Manufacturing Package Viewer without them having access to your Workspace and therefore keeping your design data out of sight.

I’m confused, which product should I choose?

The best way to make the most informed decision would be to connect your sales representative. They can help guide you through the process and select the best product based on your specific situation. But if:

You do not have any issues or challenges with your existing PCB design process and a need for increased productivity is not pressing, do not change anything.
You see that you have some gaps around your library management or you’re ready to benefit from greatly improved MCAD collaboration, take a look at Altium Concord Pro.
You are ready for the benefits of a solution that will enable your team to be much more agile thanks to managed flows, enterprise integrations, dedicated experts, and so much more, choose Altium NEXUS.

If you are not constrained by the need to have a self-managed solution (with a server installed and maintained on your own hardware infrastructure) why not consider activating and using an Altium 365 Workspace delivered through the Altium 365 Platform and available through an Altium Subscription Plan? The Workspace is a dedicated cloud-hosted server for all your managed content. It facilitates the seamless connectivity of, and the mechanics for moving data between the design, manufacturing and supply domains. Interactive, browser-based ECAD collaboration requires no tools or tool knowledge from those who use it. It connects ECAD designers, procurement, and board fabricators and assemblers in a way that makes it easy for them to work together in ways that they could not before. The level of functionality is determined by the type of Subscription Plan you purchase for your Altium Designer software, either the Standard Subscription Plan or the Pro Subscription Plan. To see a detailed list of what is included with the Standard/Pro Subscription Plans, take a look at the Full Plans Comparison.

One of the most powerful aspects of the Altium 365 infrastructure platform is the support for collaboration on a global scale. At the heart of this is the platform's support for Global Sharing. With Altium 365, you can effortlessly share your current design progress with management, purchasing, or a potential manufacturer in a way that is also easy for them - simplified, interactive collaboration, from any device. Data can be shared with anyone, anywhere in the world. This could be your WIP design shared with others outside of your Workspace team without the need to invite them into that team. Or maybe a snapshot of a design at an instant in time shared for comment. Or sharing of release data with your manufacturer through a defined Manufacturing Package, which they can then peruse through the Altium 365 platform's dedicated Manufacturing Package Viewer without them having access to your Workspace and therefore keeping your design data out of sight.

Will I be locked with the Concord Pro forever? Is there a way out in case I decide to later?

At any moment in time, even with an expired license, you will be able to extract your libraries (using IntLib as a carrier format) and continue working the old-fashioned way. With designs, it’s even easier since you always have a local working copy, the same as you had in the traditional flow.

If there is a Concord Pro, does that mean there’s also a Concord Basic/Lite?

No. In terms of self-managed server technology from Altium, there is only Altium Concord Pro and the integral server that comes as part of the Altium NEXUS deployed solution.

Can I use Altium Concord Pro for my components but keep my design projects untouched as before?

Yes. You can use Altium Concord Pro to manage just your components.

For certain functionality, you would need to register your projects so the server could extract the required data, for example, where-used and MCAD CoDesigner. From a practical point, registration does not change too much; the projects stay local just as they were before.

Is everything stored locally?

Yes, everything is within your organization’s network behind your firewall; we don’t touch any of that. The only thing that may be requested from the internet once you make the command is the latest supply chain data (stock and prices).

Can I host my server on a virtual machine or somewhere in the Amazon AWS?

Yes. It is up to you and your IT team to choose where the server will be located.

Licensing

What licensing is required?

Licensing for Concord Pro consists of two components:

Server License - enables the full set of Concord Pro services for your organization. One server license is required per organization.
Client Access License - provides user access to Concord Pro functionality. One Client license is required per user accessing Concord Pro services.

ECAD-MCAD CoDesign

What is Altium MCAD CoDesigner and how does it differ from other ways of ECAD-MCAD data exchange?

MCAD CoDesigner allows you to exchange PCB data between electrical and mechanical engineers without performing manual operations on files. It works directly with ECAD and MCAD data since it’s built as a panel into Altium Designer on one hand and as a plugin to your MCAD software on another.

The main advantages, when compared to regular file exchange, are:

It works much faster than regular file import.
It allows transferring more data (components placed on MCAD-side, copper, silkscreen, etc.).
It simplifies the synchronization of changes significantly.

For a quick overview, see the product page.
You can learn more details in the Technical Documentation.

Which MCAD tools are supported?

The following MCAD platforms are supported:

Dassault Systemes SOLIDWORKS^®
Autodesk Inventor Professional^®
PTC Creo Parametric^®

The versions of MCAD tools officially supported will depend on the version of Altium CoDesigner plugin being used. This information can be found on the New in CoDesigner page.

Does it require any additional licenses to be purchased?

No.

Which types of PCB are currently supported?

The following types of board are currently supported:

Regular boards - with all supported MCAD tools.
Rigid-flex boards - with SOLIDWORKS and PTC Creo only at this time.
PCB Variants

Multi-boards are not currently supported.

Is it possible to use our native MCAD models of components?

Yes. First, CoDesigner allows you to place your key components on the MCAD side and to recognize them on the ECAD side (for all supported MCAD tools except Autodesk Fusion 360). Second, it supports the automatic placement of models directly from a data management system used on the MCAD side, for all components coming from the ECAD side (available for Creo only at this time).

Upgrade

Can a NEXUS Server be upgraded/migrated to Concord Pro?

Yes. Since Concord Pro is a technological successor to NEXUS Server, you can easily update using the installer on a supported OS, the same as if you were upgrading between versions. It is always recommended to update on a test environment first.

What will happen with my Vault libraries once I update to Concord Pro?

They will remain the same as they were, but you will gain the added functionality and significantly improved performance thanks to the new Components panel.

I am currently using Vault 3.0. Should I update to Concord Pro or make the transition from Vault 3.0 to NEXUS Server first?

No intermediate steps with Altium NEXUS Server are required. You can upgrade directly to Altium Concord Pro and experience the new functionalities. Remember, it is recommended that you update a test environment to Concord Pro, verify that everything works properly, then repeat the steps on your production instance.

Can I install Altium Concord Pro on my local machine?

Please note that due to OS limitations on server connections, it is recommended to install using a server-based OS like Windows Server 2019. Installing on a desktop OS, like Windows 10, will limit you to 10 simultaneous network connections.
More details can be found in system requirements.

Can Concord Pro run with an Oracle database?

Concord Pro supports Firebird, which is the primary database choice of our customers. For those customers that want Oracle support, we will transition you over to be a customer of our NEXUS channel. Your point of contact here at Altium will also change to the NEXUS team.

Is there an offline installer?

Yes. Offline is the only form of an installer for Altium Concord Pro. Simply download the installer from the downloads section on the Altium website: https://www.altium.com/products/downloads.

Can I install both Altium NEXUS Server and Altium Concord Pro on the same machine?

No, this is not possible. Since Altium Concord Pro is effectively the successor to the Altium NEXUS Server (for Altium Designer users), installing it on a machine upon which the Altium NEXUS Server currently exists will update your NEXUS Server to Concord Pro.

Will I need to purchase new licenses to use Concord Pro or can existing NEXUS Server/Vault licenses be used?

If you have an active NEXUS Server or Vault license, you do need to request a new Concord Pro license. It will be regenerated free of charge.

You will need to update to Altium Concord Pro licenses in order for Altium Designer to connect to the Concord Pro server.

Licensing information for Concord Pro can be found on the following pages:
Installation Licensing and Management
Licensing

Component Synchronization

Does Concord Pro have PLM Integration?

No. It has the capability of unilateral or bi-directional synchronization of component data with enterprise systems. Supported data sources include CSV files, PTC Windchill, Arena PLM, and Oracle Agile PLM.

Why do you say there is no integration when Windchill, Arena PLM, and Oracle Agile are PLM?

The true integration with PLM, besides components, includes at least BOM publishing and release data publishing. Concord Pro functionality is limited to component synchronization only. If you require a deeper PLM integration, Altium NEXUS provides full PLM integration for your ECAD data as well as process and workflow management capabilities.

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