Preparing eCAD files and exploring plugins in Upchain

In this lesson, we’ll make sure we have all the necessary files for importing electrical components into Upchain.

We’ll learn how to use the Excel plugin to prepare those files before the import.

Before you start:

There are two ways of preparing your eCAD for import to Upchain, depending on whether you use Altium Designer as your preferred eCAD software.

Where relevant, the following titles indicate whether the content is intended for users of Altium or other eCAD software.

Preparing eCAD files to import into Upchain

Let’s identify the requirements needed for importing electrical CAD into Upchain. We’ll use the Excel plugin to help us prepare the BOM for import.

Any referenced datasets can be downloaded from "Module downloads" in the module overview.

Key takeaways

  1. Use the Excel plugin to create a template for importing electrical components.
  2. The Excel template only needs to be created once and may be used by other users in your tenant.
  3. The template requires you to map your columns to the attributes' Item Name, Manufacturer, and Manufacturer Item Number. Mapping additional attributes is optional.

Preparing eCAD files via the Altium Exporter plugin

Altium Designer users should use the Altium Exporter plugin to prepare their eCAD files for import. Let’s learn how to use the Altium Exporter.

Any referenced datasets can be downloaded from "Module downloads" in the module overview.

Key takeaways

  1. The Altium Exporter makes it easy to prepare the files for import into Upchain.
  2. The Altium Exporter generates three files: a zip file, an Excel file, and a PDF of the drawings.
  3. The Altium BOM requires attributes for the Item Name, Manufacturer, and Manufacturer Item Number to be filled out for a successful import.