Sharing electronic designs like PCB layouts, schematics, and mechanical 3D models enables vital collaboration across engineering teams and supply chain partners when developing products. Yet finding an efficient medium to publish and visualize electronics online poses challenges.
This article outlines the top platforms electronic engineers and designers can leverage to securely view, annotate, share, and discuss circuit designs over the internet. It compares on-premise vs cloud tools, browser-based apps vs mobile apps, paid solutions vs free options, and specialized electrical CAD integrations. Recommendations are provided for picking the right viewer aligned to specific workflows.
After reading, engineering groups can quickly enable online electronics design collaboration accelerating project transparency, reviews, and approvals.
Cloud Platform Benefits
Cloud-based viewers provide inherent advantages for sharing electronics designs online:
Accessibility
- View designs from any device through web browser
- No software installation needed
Real-Time Sharing
- Changes instantly sync across users
- No waiting for file export/imports
Collaboration
- Comment, discuss, markup designs live
- Built-in chat/messaging capabilities
Control
- Manage user access to confidential data
- Restrict permissions based on role
Affordability
- Lower startup costs
- Pay-as-you-go business models
For broad visibility across organizations and supply chains, cloud-based electronics viewers accelerate design progress.
On-Premise Platform Tradeoffs
However, locally hosted electronics viewing platforms offer tradeoffs:
Security
- Keep intellectual property behind firewalls
- Set restrictions around external sharing
Compatibility
- Integrate directly into existing toolchains
- Leverage legacy electronics data
Reliability
- Eliminate internet dependency
- Ensure uptime for mission-critical needs
IT policies factor into best platform decisions balancing cloud convenience & on-premise control.
##Viewer Capability Checklist
When evaluating electronics viewing systems, consider these key criteria:
Formats Supported
- Native electrical CAD files (PCB, SCH)
- Intermediate files like PDF, STEP, SAT, etc
- MCAD and mechanical file integrations
Annotation Tools
- Comment bubbles
- Drawing markup
- Dimension checking
Real-Time Co-Viewing
- Multi-user live collaboration
- Chat and comments
Access Control
- Permission management
- Access logs and controls
- External sharing workflows
Mobile Experience
- Touch-friendly manipulation
- Mobile app availability
- Responsive layout on tablets
Leading Electronics Viewers
Here are top platforms used by engineers to publish, share, and discuss designs online:
Altium 365
- Altium’s cloud design platform
- Integrates natively with Altium tools
- Robust co-viewing and commenting abilities
- Connects to supply chain and manufacturing
Autodesk Fusion 360
- Popular mechanical CAD package
- Electrical CAD integrations
- Built-in design collaboration workflows
- Tightly integrated product development ecosystem
Cadence Cloud
- Cloud platform tailored for electronics
- Specialized electrical CAD integrations
- Design data and tool environment unification
- Focused on chip, board, system design flows
Onshape
- 100% cloud-based mechanical CAD
- Import PCB layout data for enclosure design
- Free public sharing with restricted permissions
- Great basic built-in collaboration capabilities
Sharing Criteria Matching
When picking viewing platforms for sharing electronics projects online, match core capabilities to collaboration needs:
| Criteria | Altium 365 | Fusion 360 | Cadence Cloud | Onshape |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Native electrical CAD integrations | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | |
| Intermediate file support | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Annotation/markup | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Multi-user co-viewing | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Mobile viewing & manipulation | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Manufacturing connectivity | ✅ | ✅ | ||
| Support plans pricing | Paid | Paid | Paid | Freemium |
Align viewer strengths to collaboration scenarios needed across the product realization process.
Viewer Usage Recommendations
Here is guidance on mapping tools to best address specific electronics sharing use cases:
Multi-Domain Design Reviews
Fusion 360
Seamlessly combine electrical and mechanical design data into unified 3D virtual prototypes for cross-discipline team collaboration.
PCB Design Approvals
Altium 365
Facilitate publisher workflows getting electronics designs approved using cloud-based visualization, commenting, and version controls.
External Manufacturing Collaboration
Altium 365
Securely view and exchange live design data with external partners like contract manufacturers by isolating access and data.
Public Design Showcases
Onshape
Freely share read-only versions of electronics designs with prospective customers, investors, community members to spur engagement and feedback.
Chip/IC Development
Cadence Cloud
Connect geographically dispersed semiconductor engineering teams designing next generation chips through specialized cloud-based CAD tool integration.
Security Considerations
Maintaining confidentiality of sensitive design IP warrants careful access controls when sharing online:
- Enable viewer restrictions prohibiting downloads
- Watermark images to track data leakage
- Mask restricted company area in board layouts
- Share time-bounded access links
- Log user activity for audits
- Require electronic NDAs prior to access
Capabilities like user permissions, temporary views, and encryption balance open collaboration and IP protection.
Conclusion
In summary, seamlessly viewing, annotating, and sharing live 2D schematics and 3D PCB data online accelerates collaboration critical for fast paced hardware innovation. By selecting modern purpose-built electronics visualization platforms equipped with robust co-viewing capabilities, engineering teams access unprecedented visibility enablingBorderless data exchange with internal stakeholders and external partners closes communication gaps to help companies build better products faster.
As globalized design and manufacturing continue evolving, connecting teams through cloud-based or locally-secured electronics viewing technology promises immense productivity gains ultimately improving quality of life through timely delivery of cutting edge devices.
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