Altium to Flux

Bring your Altium Designer project to Flux and continue it here. Flux is an AI hardware engineer for complete devices from idea to manufactured production.

Overview

This guide explains how to move from Altium Designer to Flux. It covers the main workflow differences and shows you how to create a circuit board in Flux.

Import Your Altium Project

Attach the Altium files to a message in the Chat panel and ask Flux to import them.

Import the attached Altium project as a new project.

Import all parts from the attached Altium library.

Import the attached Altium project ZIP file and design an enclosure that fits the board outline.

To do it in the UI:

In Flux, select Import from the Flux menu, then select Project…. Upload your Altium project files, a project folder, or a ZIP file. Flux supports .PrjPcb, .SchDoc, .PcbDoc, and .SWPcbDoc files. Each import creates a new project. It does not update an existing project or part.

What you can do with your design in Flux

Flux is an AI hardware engineer. After the import, your design is a Flux project. Ask Flux to work on it. Flux works on the electronics, the mechanical parts, the firmware, and the manufacturing in the same project.

Turn the imported board into a complete device

Use the imported Altium schematic and PCB as the starting point. Ask Flux to design an enclosure around the board, then write firmware for the microcontroller and peripherals in the schematic.

Use the board outline, mounting holes, connectors, and clearance needs from the imported design to shape the enclosure.
Use the imported schematic's pin assignments and connected parts to guide firmware for the microcontroller.

Using the imported Altium board, design an enclosure that fits its outline and aligns with its mounting holes and connectors.

Write firmware for the microcontroller in the imported Altium schematic. Use its pin assignments to initialize and test the connected peripherals.

Review the imported design

Ask Flux to review the schematic and the board. Flux reads the datasheets of the parts and reports the problems that it finds, with a fix for each one. Flux can also make a failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA) report.

Review the imported schematic. Check the power sequencing, the decoupling, and the termination of the high-speed interfaces.

Make an FMEA report for the main processor and its power rails.

Find replacement parts

Ask Flux to find replacements for parts that are obsolete, out of stock, or too expensive. Flux checks live stock and pricing from distributors and compares the datasheets before it changes a part.

Find second sources for the single-source parts in the BOM. Check the stock at Digi-Key and Mouser.

Find replacements for the parts that are not recommended for new designs.

Place and route the board

Ask Flux to place the components and route the board. Flux sets up the stackup and the layout rules, places the parts, routes the traces, and runs the design rule check. You can change any part of the layout by hand.

Place the components and route the board. Use the 6-layer stackup and keep the DDR traces length-matched.

Route the PCIe lanes as 85 ohm differential pairs.

Simulate high-speed and RF signals

Ask Flux to run an electromagnetic simulation of the routed board. Use it for the impedance, losses, and coupling of high-speed traces, and for antennas and RF feed lines. Flux reports the results with plots.

Simulate the USB 3.0 differential pair from the connector to the controller and report the insertion loss and the impedance.

Simulate the coupling between the two Ethernet pairs on the top layer.

Check the board temperature

Ask Flux to run a thermal simulation of the PCB. Flux calculates the temperature of the board and its components from the power that each part dissipates, and shows the hot spots.

Run a thermal simulation of the board with the regulators at full load. Show me the hot spots.

Design the enclosure and mechanical parts

Ask Flux to design enclosures, brackets, mounts, mechanisms, and other mechanical parts and assemblies around the board. Flux uses the board outline, the mounting holes, the connectors, and the 3D models of the parts. In the 3D view, you can cut through the model to check the clearances. See Mechanical Design.

Design an aluminum enclosure for this board with a cutout for each front-panel connector.

Design brackets that mount this board and the display board in the same chassis.

Design a hinged access door for the chassis with a quarter-turn latch.

Edit your existing STEP files

Upload a STEP, IGES, or BREP file from your mechanical team and tell Flux what to change. Flux saves the result as a new model with editable CAD code. Your original file stays unchanged.

This is the enclosure from our SolidWorks team. Make it 15 mm longer so the new board fits. Keep the wall thickness and the mounting holes.

Check the mechanical parts and the air flow

Ask Flux to analyze the mechanical parts. Flux calculates the stress and the deflection of a bracket or a housing. Flux checks the fit and the clearances between the board and the parts around it. Flux also simulates the air flow and the cooling through an enclosure with a fan or vents. Flux reports the results with numbers and images.

Check the deflection of the mounting brackets under a 5 g vibration load and report the safety factor.

Simulate the cooling air flow from the 40 mm fan through the chassis and report the temperature of the processor.

Write the firmware

Ask Flux to write firmware for the microcontroller on the board. Flux uses the pin assignments of the design. Then it builds, analyzes, and unit tests the code.

Write the board bring-up firmware for the STM32. Test each power rail, the clocks, and each peripheral, and report the results over UART.

Design the cables between boards

Ask Flux for a cable between two connectors in the design. Flux reads the pinout from the nets, finds the mating housings, and picks the wire. Then it gets a price, the lead time, and a checkout link from a harness manufacturer.

I need a cable that connects J4 on this board to J1 on the display board, about 250 mm long. What do 100 of them cost?

Get quotes and order

Ask Flux for PCB quotes from manufacturers such as JLCPCB, PCBWay, OSH Park, and AISLER, and order the boards. Ask for 3D-printing quotes and orders for the mechanical parts. You can also export the Gerber, drill, BOM, and pick-and-place files. See Manufacturing files.

Get quotes for 100 assembled boards from JLCPCB and PCBWay with a 10-day lead time.

Get a 3D-printing quote for the brackets in PA12 nylon.

Continue Your Altium Designer Project in Flux

Flux supports project collaboration, Flux agent workflows, and design iteration.

Browser-based workflow. Flux works with any desktop device with a browser.
Collaboration. Multiple users can work on a project at the same time. Share a project to collaborate.
Ask Flux to work on your design.
Flux saves project changes and maintains version history.
Project sharing. Share a link to the project.
Start from a template or example project.
Start from projects that the community shares.
Part creation. Create the parts that are not in your library.
Fork an existing project to continue its design. Share project access with collaborators.

Browser-based Integrated Workflow

Flux runs in the browser on any operating system. Your team works in the same project at the same time, and you share a project with a link.

Flux runs in your browser and supports requirements, schematic design, PCB layout, mechanical design, firmware, and manufacturing files. You can work from any location without managing design files or sharing them by email.

Collaboration

Share a project link to give collaborators access.

Projects are made private by default, meaning only you will be able to open and see those projects. If you want to give other users access to your projects or make them fully public, you’ll need to use the share menu.

Copy the project URL and share it with collaborators. Anyone with access can work on the same design, including people on remote teams.

Fast development with AI

Flux is an AI hardware engineer that does much of the design work for you.

Flux works inside your project and understands its components, connections, and datasheets. Ask Flux for a task, and Flux does the work: it selects parts, draws the schematic, places and routes the board, designs the enclosure, and runs simulations and design reviews. You review the result and give direction.

Version control

Ask Flux to show the project history or to restore an earlier version.

List the changes in this project since yesterday.

Restore the project to the version before the last layout change.

Flux saves project changes and assigns each change a version. Open Flux menu → Change History to view or restore an earlier version.

Project Organization

Each Flux object has a shareable URL. Open project parts without managing separate files.

Modules

Use a module to reuse a circuit block, such as a power converter or oscillator, in another project. A module contains its parts, traces, and vias.

Each terminal in the module symbol corresponds to a terminal in its schematic.

Altium’s Multiple Libraries are Condensed into Flux’s Unified Library

Both Flux and Altium have libraries, but each works a little differently.

Altium Designer has several types of libraries, such as Altium 365, Git-based, and database libraries. You configure each library and make sure that each part comes from the correct one.

Flux has one library for parts you can access. It includes parts you and your team created, whether private or public, and community parts. Search the library to find a part.

Info

Can’t find the part you’re looking for?

Import Altium libraries from the Flux menu. Select Import, then Part…. Flux supports .SchLib, .PcbLib, and .IntLib files.

Part Creation

Ask Flux to create a part from a datasheet or from a description.

Create a part for the attached IMU datasheet with its symbol, footprint, and pin functions.

Create a part for an M3 x 8 mm socket head screw with a 3D model.

Create a part for a 2.8 inch SPI display module with its mounting holes.

Altium supports custom schematic parts and footprints. Flux lets you create or import parts.

To create a part in Flux, create a blank project. Add terminals to the schematic. Each terminal creates a pad in the PCB layout that you can configure for the footprint. Publish the project to add the part to the library.

📖 Naming convention: pins (traditional) → terminals (Flux). Both have a similar function, but pins are called terminals in Flux.

In Flux, there is no “assigning” a footprint to a symbol or part. Every part, project, or module has a schematic and associated PCB layout, known as a footprint.

Generic Parts

Like Altium, Flux lets you select multiple footprints for a part. You can set package selection with rules.

Each part includes its available footprints. Select the footprint you need in the project.

Project Cloning and Forking

Ask Flux to fork a project.

Fork this project so I can try a four-layer version of the board.

Fork this project and change the enclosure material to aluminum.

Fork a project to preserve its change history and merge it with the original. Clone a project to create a copy without its history.

From Altium Schematic Editor to Flux Schematic

Sheets

Altium uses hierarchical sheets to organize projects. Flux uses nested modules. Double-click a module in the schematic to open its contents.

Symbols

In both tools, a symbol represents a part or module in the schematic.

Altium Designer has a built-in editor for schematic symbols. Flux supports imported SVG symbols. Double-click a part to view its contents.

Wiring

Ask Flux to connect the pins and nets.

Connect the I2C pins of the sensor to the microcontroller.

Add 10 kOhm pull-up resistors to SDA and SCL and connect them to 3V3.

In Altium, press Ctrl+W to start a wire. In Flux, click a pin to start a wire.

Alignment

Ask Flux to arrange the schematic.

Arrange the schematic so that the power section is on the left and the connectors are on the right.

Align the decoupling capacitors next to the microcontroller power pins.

In Altium, objects snap to the grid when you place them. In Flux, align symbols with the magnetic guides before wiring.

Flux Terminals & Net Labels act as Altium Ports & Net Labels

In Altium Designer, ports connect nodes through different sheets. Net labels act similarly but are local. In Flux, terminals work like ports. Net labels and power symbols connect pins that have the same net name.

Ask Flux to connect the nets by name.

Connect the SPI pins of the microcontroller and the display with net labels.

Connect all 3V3 pins with power symbols and all ground pins to GND.

To do it in the UI:

Start a wire from a pin that has no connection. A menu opens next to the pin. Select Create a net or connect to an existing net and type the net name. Pins with the same net name are connected. Flux shows a power symbol for a net whose Net Type property is Power. To connect a pin to ground, select Connect to the GND net.

Bill of Materials (BoM), Pricing, and Availability

Ask Flux to check part availability or to export the BOM.

List the parts that are out of stock and suggest replacements.

Export the BOM as a CSV file.

Altium’s BoM must be generated each time to see the most recent availability. Flux shows live pricing and availability from distributors for each part with a manufacturer part number (MPN).

Export a CSV file that lists the components and their attributes.

Notes & Comments

Add notes to the schematic and place comments on the canvas. Collaborators can use them to discuss the design.

From Altium PCB Editor to Flux’s PCB Editor

Synchronize Schematic and PCB Changes

Altium has an Engineering Change Orders (ECO) panel that must be configured when moving from the schematic to the PCB.

Flux synchronizes schematic, code, and PCB changes. Use version history to restore an earlier project state.

Flux’s Layout and Selector-Based Rules Mimic Altium’s Rules, Constraints Panel and Properties Panel

Ask Flux to set the layout rules.

Set the minimum trace width to 0.15 mm and the minimum clearance to 0.15 mm.

Set 0.5 mm trace widths for the power nets.

When creating a new PCB with Altium, one of the first panels users configure is the Rules and Constrains panels. This allows for configuring the clearance distances, shapes, and other properties of traces, silkscreens, components, and more. Then, any individual objects on the PCB canvas can have their properties edited through the properties panel. Altium’s workflow involves defining the board rules, part placement + routing (with editing through the properties panel), and then a design rule check. If any rules are violated, an error will be thrown in the final stage.

Flux uses real-time rules. Rules set object properties, and Flux updates those properties as you place components and traces.

Use the Inspector panel to configure layout rules. Select an object to view its rules, then add rules for parts, traces, or the board.

Use rules to set PCB object properties, including position, rotation, and size. Read the PCB rules guide. Flux updates object properties as you design.

Flux also supports selector-based rules. Use them to change properties on multiple objects, such as the width of several traces in one net.

For example, consider the case where you are an engineer looking at a previously designed PCB, examining an individual trace.

In Altium, a trace may have a different width without showing which rule set it.
In Flux, select a trace to see the object or selector rule that sets its width.

Trace Routing and Impedance Matching

Ask Flux to route the board, a net, or a differential pair.

Route the USB differential pair with 90 ohm impedance.

Route all power nets with 0.5 mm traces, then route the rest of the board.

Altium’s PCB editor allows you to create traces with Ctrl+W. In Flux, click a pad node to start routing a trace.

Flux supports high-speed and traditional routing.

Copy Pasting

Copy and paste objects in the canvas. Apply rules to an object, then copy it to reuse those settings.

Polygon Pours

Ask Flux to add polygon pours.

Add a ground polygon on the bottom layer under the RF section.

Add a 3.3 V polygon on layer 2 for the microcontroller area.

You can also do it in the editor:

Flux supports polygon pours of any shape. Right-click a pad or trace of the net, choose Start Routing a Polygon, select the copper layer, and draw the outline. To change the outline, select the polygon and click Edit Polygon. To make a circular or rectangular polygon, use the Polygon Shape rule.

Each polygon connects to a net. Use polygons for ground planes, power planes, split planes, and cutouts. When polygons overlap, the polygon priority sets which polygon fills the area. Keep-out rules set the clearance between polygons and other copper.

Flux also creates a full-board ground fill when you place a ground symbol in the schematic. Reassign the fill to another net to create a power plane, or toggle its visibility. Read the polygons guide and copper fills guide.

To turn imported copper fills into live pours, see Turn imported copper fills into live pours.

Stackup Manager

Ask Flux to set the board stackup.

Set a four-layer stackup with ground on layer 2 and power on layer 3.

Set the board thickness to 1.0 mm for the wearable enclosure.

Altium has a stack-up manager that allows for configuration of the board stack-up, including the number of layers, material, behavior and more.

Flux uses constraints on the layout object. New projects use a four-layer stackup by default. To select another stackup:

Select Layout in the object tree.
In the Inspector, add an Object Specific rule named Stackup and select a stackup.

Flux also features multiple premade stackups for commonly used manufacturers, such as AISLER, JLCPCB, and PCBWay.

DRC and DFM Constraints

Ask Flux to run the design rule check and fix the violations.

Run the design rule check and fix the clearance violations.

Check the board for manufacturing issues before I order it.

Altium uses a system of DRC and DFM constraints.

Set these values with layout rules. You can also clone a template with design rules.

Ask Flux to set the board outline.

Make the board a 50 mm by 30 mm rectangle with 3 mm corner radii.

Change the board outline to fit inside the enclosure and add four M3 mounting holes.

In Flux, the board outline is a separate object in the PCB object tree. Select the board outline to edit its properties with rules. Find the Layout object in the tree.

Navigation & Shortcuts

Flux uses navigation shortcuts similar to Altium. Use the mouse wheel to zoom and middle-click to pan. Flux also supports trackpad gestures.

Open Flux menu → Keyboard Shortcuts to see the shortcuts. For example, press 0 to zoom to fit, ] or [ to rotate a selected part, and F to flip it to the other side of the PCB. Double-click the canvas or click a terminal to finish a wire.

Gerber Export

Ask Flux to export the manufacturing files.

Export the Gerber files for this board.

Export the Gerber files, the BOM, and the pick and place file as one ZIP file.

To do it in the UI:

Select Flux menu → Export → Electronics → Manufacturing Files (Gerbers, etc) (.zip) to export Gerber files.

Flux Code and Simulator

Ask Flux to simulate the circuit.

Perform a DC operating point analysis on this design.

Analyze the low-pass filter formed by R1 and C1 and report the cutoff frequency.

Altium contains a proprietary scripting language with documentation that isn’t especially widely available. Flux uses JavaScript and has a public API with a built-in simulator. You’re able to run simulations on your circuit to ensure functionality as intended before manufacturing.

Next Steps

This guide explains how Altium workflows map to Flux. Continue with the guides on sharing, PCB rules, and manufacturing export.

Get Help

For more help, contact Flux support or visit these resources:

Flux support: Contact support if you find unexpected behavior while using Flux.
Flux video tutorials: Watch tutorials, crash courses, and recorded events. Independent Flux tutorials are also available.
Flux support: Open the Flux home page and select "Contact us."

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