Leveraging Interactive Reference Designs

Jumping into a new PCB design can be intimidating – especially if you are starting a brand new design and using new devices. Having a working sample to demonstrate how the components function and are connected within the design can give you a valuable head start. This is where reference designs come in!

What is a Reference Design?

Manufacturers will often release reference designs featuring their latest components to show you how to utilize their new product. It is a working board containing parts mostly from that manufacturer, with a few from other suppliers mixed in.

Why Use a Reference Design?

When you are jumping into a new design it is useful to have an example to base your design from. Reference designs show finished products for a variety of applications, from components for medical devices to phone chargers. Using a portion or whole reference design provided by the manufacturer saves you valuable time for you to spend on creating your finished design, and is great way to ensure you will meet early qualifications and testing.

Check out our previous blog post on how to use reference designs to learn more.

Where Can I Find Reference Designs?

Ultra Librarian has teamed up with multiple manufacturers to provide reference designs in a variety of native CAD formats. Here is how to access them:

Head to https://app.ultralibrarian.com/manufacturers to browse our Featured Manufacturers

Click on a logo to view their Reference Designs, along with CAD models by category, their most popular parts, and most recently downloaded.

Select a reference design and download to view the board, schematic, and 3D model.

Shop Reference Designs by Manufacturer:

Register for free with Ultra Librarian to kick-start your design process with access to these CAD ready reference designs, footprints, symbols, and 3D models.