Introducing the Onshape Altium Connector: True Cloud-to-Cloud ECAD-MCAD Collaboration

Designing electronics-driven products has never been a purely electrical or mechanical task.

On the electrical side, engineers use ECAD tools to design printed circuit boards (PCBs), the physical boards that carry a product’s circuits, components, and connections. On the mechanical side, teams use MCAD tools to design the enclosures and assemblies where those boards live inside. Board shape, connector placement, keep‑out zones, and enclosure constraints must all come together quickly.

Yet for most teams, the workflow between ECAD and MCAD has looked the same for years: Export a file, import it somewhere else, make changes, and send it back. Repeat until the product ships.

That changes today.

Introducing the Altium Connector, a cloud-to-cloud integration built into Onshape PCB Studio that streamlines MCAD and ECAD workflows. Mechanical and electrical engineers can now work from a single source of truth, bringing the power of Onshape’s cloud architecture to PCB design.

The Problem with MCAD-ECAD Workflows

Most existing connections between Altium and mechanical CAD systems rely on a familiar pattern: Push data from ECAD, pull it into MCAD, make changes, then push it back again, making collaboration feel more like coordination.

Previous ECAD-MCAD workflows address some of this friction, but the underlying model is still transactional. Data moves between environments in discrete steps, requires installed add-ins, and depends on careful version coordination across tools.

The Onshape Altium Connector is built on a different premise entirely. Rather than exchanging files between desktop tools, it establishes a direct cloud-to-cloud link between Altium 365 and Onshape, synchronizing PCB data into the Onshape Document where it becomes a first-class citizen alongside mechanical CAD, fully versioned and managed through Onshape’s built-in PDM. Both ECAD and MCAD teams work from the same data, with every change tracked automatically and accessible from any browser.

How the Onshape Altium Connector is Different

The Altium Connector allows users to link their Onshape account to their Altium account, browse Altium 365 workspaces, and import Altium boards directly into PCB Studio without the need for file transfers. ECAD and MCAD teams can now iterate in parallel to share board geometry, component placements, mechanical constraints, and design changes as a continuous, tracked workflow rather than a series of handoffs.

When a board is imported into Onshape PCB Studio, it arrives with full visual representation of the copper, solder mask, and silkscreen, and components all intact – a richer representation than what’s available through standard IDF file exchange. Detailed component models are provided via Altium Parts Service, then stored in the PCB Studio component library for reuse across projects.

Electrical ownership stays in Altium, so symbols, footprints, and electrical properties remain managed in ECAD. While mechanical representations are generated and maintained automatically in Onshape.

Mechanical changes made in Onshape – board outline edits, mounting holes, keep-in and keep-out regions – are pushed back to Altium as structured updates.

Inside Altium Designer, the MCAD CoDesigner extension lists every change for review. Once applied and saved to Altium 365, those updates can be pulled back into Onshape with a single click, with traces, decals, silkscreen, and component detail all reconnecting automatically. Every revision is captured automatically in Onshape’s built-in PDM, giving teams complete traceability across both the ECAD and MCAD sides of the design.

From PCB Studio, teams can also access schematics, single-line diagrams, bill of materials, and other Altium project information directly without switching tools.

How Cloud-Based MCAD-ECAD Works

The New ECAD-MCAD Workflow

Step 1: Publish from Altium Designer

ECAD engineers design and lay out boards in Altium Designer, then publish to the Altium 365 cloud when the board is ready for mechanical review.

Step 2: Import into Onshape PCB Studio

The mechanical engineer opens PCB Studio in Onshape, browses available Altium 365 workspaces, and selects the board and variation to import. No file download. No format conversion.

Step 3: Work in context

The PCB becomes a true solid model assembly in Onshape, placed in context alongside enclosures, connectors, batteries, and other mechanical components. Teams can validate clearances, check connector alignment, define board shape, and add mounting features – all while the PCB intelligence stays intact.

Step 4: Push mechanical changes to Altium

When mechanical changes are ready, they're pushed from PCB Studio to Altium 365 as structured updates. Inside Altium Designer, every change is listed, reviewed, and applied. Once saved, the updated PCB design is stored in the Altium 365 cloud.

Step 5: Pull back into Onshape

The MCAD user then simply pulls the latest changes that the ECAD user made, and this will automatically update the PCB assembly and associated MCAD components.

Who Benefits from True Cloud-to-Cloud MCAD-ECAD Workflows?

In short, the Onshape Altium Connector is ideal for teams that want to:

• Start mechanical and electrical design in parallel
• Reduce iteration time driven by enclosure constraints
• Avoid file-based workflows and desktop dependencies
• Keep ECAD and MCAD continuously aligned

More specifically, this integration improves workflows for:

• Mechanical engineers and CAD designers: If you’ve ever had to wait for an updated board file before you could move your enclosure design forward, this is for you. With the Altium Connector, you can work with PCB data directly in Onshape to define board constraints in context, catching fit and clearance issues early, and staying aligned with electrical counterparts without chasing file versions.
• Electrical and PCB design engineers using Altium: Your workflow in Altium Designer doesn’t change. You continue to own schematic capture, layout, and routing in the tools you already know. What changes is how quickly mechanical feedback is created as structured, reviewable updates rather than redlines, emails, or informal conversations.
• Project leads and design managers: Parallel development reduces program risk. The Altium Connector means your ECAD and MCAD teams can iterate concurrently from the earliest stages of design, catching integration issues before they become costly rework. And because everything lives in the cloud with a full version history, you always have visibility into what changed, when, and why.
• Startups and integrated device companies: For teams moving fast on compact, enclosure-driven products (consumer products, electronics, robotics, medical devices) late-stage surprises between board and enclosure are among the most expensive problems you can have. The Altium Connector compresses the feedback loop between disciplines and keeps both sides of your design continuously aligned.

How to Get Connected

First, you’ll need an Onshape account with PCB Studio enabled and an Altium Designer license with access to Altium 365. No additional software, plug-ins, or extra licensing is required beyond existing subscriptions.

Then, head to our help documentation for step-by-step directions on connecting.

Cloud-Native Collaboration Built In

Because Onshape is cloud-native, the Altium Connector benefits from capabilities that traditional CAD integrations can’t offer:

• Real-time access through a browser
• Built-in version control and history
• No file locking or manual transfers
• Easy sharing with suppliers and partners

PCB data, mechanical context, and enclosure geometry all live together, managed, secured, and versioned automatically.

By rethinking how Altium and CAD work together, Onshape PCB Studio helps teams move faster with fewer handoffs, fewer surprises, and better designs as a result.