Background

A component in Altium can be considered as a container that stores models and parameters together in order to represent a single physical object. A typical component may have the following subcomponents:

• A schematic symbol
• A footprint and 3D model
• A simulation model
• Parametric data (ex. part number, resistor value, max/min ratings, data rate)
• Datasheets
• Part choices

Electrical components frequently share aspects between different chip models or within a single family. For example, a resistor family may have hundreds of components, all with the same symbol and footprint, but with different parameters (part number, resistance). Or, a single IC may have two different packages both with the same pinout but different physical size.

Altium exploits this by storing the “domain models” (such as a schematic symbol or a footprint) separately from the symbol, and then linking the model to the component. This allows for one domain model to be shared across many components. This is advantageous when, for example, a vendor uses the same footprint across chip families. Instead of having to create a new footprint per component, we can simply link to the already existing domain model.

Why have our own parts library?

The “supplier component search” is a very powerful tool that can quickly allow us to bring in new components to a design. However, use of this tool is discouraged for parts that we will use in our designs. Why?

• Version Control: By keeping our components in a versioned library, we can track changes and update schematics as appropriate as the library evolves
• Reliability: The manufacturer sometimes gets their own symbols wrong. Yes, really. Ask me why I know this. When we add parts to our library, we can validate that info was added correctly and reflects the most current datasheets
• Single Source: Not all components are in the component search. Splitting our components between the component search and an internal library makes for a headache as we try to iterate and reuse parts
• Consistency: Different components from different manufacturers have different standards and best practices. By unifying our library, we ensure that all components follow our best practices.

Component

To create a component, go to File -> New -> Component . In the pop-up, select the most correct category for your component