PTC announced a new integration between its cloud-native Onshape® computer‑aided design (CAD) and product data management (PDM) platform and Altium. The connector enables electrical and mechanical engineering teams to collaborate more effectively by bringing Printed Circuit Board (PCB) designs directly into Onshape and keeping changes synchronized across both platforms.
Building products with electronics requires close coordination between electrical and mechanical teams, but that coordination breaks down when it relies on emailed files and manual updates. Teams lose time exporting data, reconciling versions, and catching problems too late, such as boards that don't fit or misaligned connectors. The Onshape Altium Connector removes that friction by creating a direct connection between platforms, bringing PCB designs from Altium into Onshape so teams can assess fit early, track changes in real time, and stay aligned as designs evolve.
"This collaboration marks an important milestone for cloud-native engineering. By expanding our direct ECAD-MCAD CoDesign technology, we are enabling a truly cohesive connection between leading cloud-based design platforms," said Nikolay Ponomarenko, Vice President of Altium R&D. "In a complex, fast-paced industry, cloud data enables engineers to collaborate in real-time within a unified workflow across design domains. This eliminates all risks imposed by manually sharing files. This level of synchronization keeps teams aligned from the very beginning of the design process and lays the foundation for even deeper collaboration in the future."
Key benefits of the Onshape Altium Connector include:
- Works entirely in the cloud — no file conversions, downloads, or manual data transfers required
- Keeps electrical and mechanical designs in sync — changes made in either platform are automatically reflected in the other, eliminating version mismatches
- Enables identification of design problems earlier — teams can verify that circuit boards fit correctly within their enclosures before issues become costly to fix
- Built-in version control — detailed electrical history lives in Altium, and mechanical history lives in Onshape, connected in real time so teams always trace and manage what changed and when
- Accessible from any browser — stakeholders can review, comment on, and markup designs from anywhere, with no software installation required
"Connecting electrical and mechanical design in real-time is a critical step toward fully digital product development," said David Katzman, General Manager of Onshape and Arena, PTC. "By bringing these workflows together in a single cloud-native environment, we give teams continuous access to a shared, real-time product definition so they can move faster, stay aligned, and focus on building better products."
With Onshape and the rest of its portfolio, PTC is delivering on its vision for the Intelligent Product Lifecycle: enabling manufacturers and product companies to build a product data foundation, extend the value of that data across their enterprise, and accelerate AI-driven transformation. Broader use of product data enables companies to bring higher quality products to market faster, better manage product complexity, meet regulatory and compliance standards, and much more.
