Altium Designer Mirror: A Quick Guide on How to Use It

Altium Designer Mirror is a powerful tool that allows electronic designers to create efficient and accurate circuit board designs. This software is designed to help engineers overcome the challenges of creating complex designs and to simplify the design process. The Altium Designer Mirror tool is particularly useful for designing high-speed and high-frequency circuits, which require careful attention to detail and precision.

With Altium Designer Mirror, designers can create a mirrored version of their circuit board design, which can be used to test and optimize the design before production. This tool allows designers to identify potential problems early in the design process, which can save time and money in the long run. The software also includes a range of advanced features, such as differential pair routing and signal integrity analysis, which can help designers to create high-quality designs that meet their specific requirements.

What is Altium Designer Mirror?

Altium Designer Mirror is a cloud-based platform that provides users with real-time access to electronic design data and project files. It is designed to help teams collaborate more efficiently, regardless of their location.

With Altium Designer Mirror, users can access and work on design projects from anywhere in the world, using any device with an internet connection. This means that teams can work together seamlessly, without the need for physical meetings or travel.

Altium Designer Mirror also provides users with a range of powerful collaboration features, including real-time commenting, version control, and project sharing. These features enable teams to work together more effectively, ensuring that everyone is on the same page and that projects are completed on time and within budget.

Overall, Altium Designer Mirror is a powerful tool for anyone who needs to collaborate on electronic design projects. Whether you are working on a small project with a few team members or a large, complex project with dozens of stakeholders, Altium Designer Mirror can help you work more efficiently and effectively.

How to Use Altium Designer Mirror

Setting up the Mirror Server

To use Altium Designer Mirror, you first need to set up a mirror server. This server will store the mirror image that you create. Here are the steps to set up the mirror server:

1. Open Altium Designer and go to the Preferences menu.
2. Click on the Data Management category and select the Mirror Servers option.
3. Click on the Add button to create a new mirror server.
4. Enter the server name, IP address, and port number.
5. Click on the Test Connection button to make sure the connection is working.
6. Click OK to save the settings.

Creating a Mirror Image

Once you have set up the mirror server, you can create a mirror image. This will allow you to work offline and still have access to all the data you need. Here are the steps to create a mirror image:

1. Open Altium Designer and go to the Preferences menu.
2. Click on the Data Management category and select the Mirror Images option.
3. Click on the Add button to create a new mirror image.
4. Enter the name of the mirror image and select the server you created in the previous step.
5. Choose the data you want to include in the mirror image.
6. Click OK to create the mirror image.

Updating the Mirror Image

To keep your mirror image up to date with the latest changes, you need to update it regularly. Here are the steps to update the mirror image:

1. Open Altium Designer and go to the Preferences menu.
2. Click on the Data Management category and select the Mirror Images option.
3. Select the mirror image you want to update.
4. Click on the Update button to download the latest changes from the server.
5. Click OK to save the changes.

By following these simple steps, you can use Altium Designer Mirror to work offline and still have access to all the data you need.

Benefits of Using Altium Designer Mirror

Reduced Network Traffic

Altium Designer Mirror reduces network traffic by allowing designers to work offline and synchronizing changes when they connect to the network. This feature is particularly useful for teams working on large projects with complex PCB designs. By working offline, designers can make changes without causing network congestion or slowing down the system. This results in faster design cycles and increased productivity.

Improved Collaboration

Altium Designer Mirror enables designers to collaborate more effectively by providing a centralized repository for design files. This makes it easier for team members to share files, track changes, and collaborate on projects. Designers can also work on different parts of the project simultaneously, without worrying about conflicts or version control issues. This results in better collaboration, faster design cycles, and higher-quality designs.

Increased Security

Altium Designer Mirror provides increased security by allowing teams to work on a local server, rather than a cloud-based service. This means that all design files are stored on a secure, local server, rather than being stored in the cloud. This reduces the risk of data breaches and ensures that sensitive design information is kept secure. Additionally, Altium Designer Mirror provides granular access controls, so team members can only access the files they need to work on.

In summary, Altium Designer Mirror offers several benefits for design teams, including reduced network traffic, improved collaboration, and increased security. By leveraging these features, teams can work more efficiently, collaborate more effectively, and produce higher-quality designs.

Limitations of Altium Designer Mirror

Limited Offline Access

One of the main limitations of Altium Designer Mirror is the limited offline access. The software requires an internet connection to function properly. This can be a major inconvenience for users who work in areas with poor internet connectivity or those who prefer to work offline.

Although Altium Designer Mirror provides some offline functionality, it is limited and not as robust as the online features. For example, users cannot access the AltiumLive community or the Altium 365 cloud platform when working offline. Additionally, some of the collaboration features may not work as well when working offline.

Limited Customization Options

Another limitation of Altium Designer Mirror is the limited customization options. While the software provides some degree of customization, it is not as flexible as other PCB design tools. Users may find it challenging to customize the interface or workflows to their specific needs.

Altium Designer Mirror also has limited support for third-party plugins or extensions. This can be a disadvantage for users who rely on specialized tools or plugins for their work. Additionally, the software does not provide an open API, which limits the ability to integrate with other software tools.

In summary, Altium Designer Mirror has some limitations that users should be aware of. These include limited offline access and limited customization options. Despite these limitations, the software remains a powerful tool for PCB design and layout.