Planning for the Future with Cirris Systems and Altium

Cirris Systems is a major leader in the cable testing sphere, with its roots dating back to 1984 in Salt Lake City. The company started as a startup, designing products by hand on a kitchen table. Over the years, it has grown to place thousands of cable testers in the hands of customers on every continent. Cirris Systems bridges the gap between small shops and local vendors and the huge government, defense, and aerospace firms that require rigorous cable testing. Their products and adapters are relied upon by a wide range of customers, from regional cable companies to public and private aerospace companies.

Cirris Systems, a major leader in the cable testing sphere, faced a significant challenge in finding the right eCAD software tools. The company had struggled with six different software platforms before considering Altium Designer. The need for a tool that would support their team and their eventual replacement was crucial. Furthermore, the company had to meet the rigorous cable testing requirements of various industries, including government, defense, and aerospace firms. This necessitated tight revision control and process tracking, which was difficult to manage with their existing systems. The situation was further complicated by the sudden onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced the company to transition from onsite to remote work almost overnight.

Cirris Systems adopted Altium Designer, a widely used eCAD software tool, to support their team and future replacements. The decision was influenced by the widespread adoption of Altium Designer in the region's engineering firms. During the adoption process, Altium released Concord Pro via Altium 365, a cloud-based platform. This provided Cirris Systems with a comprehensive solution for component data management and revision control. The implementation of Altium 365 proved to be a game-changer during the COVID-19 pandemic. The platform enabled the team to transition to remote work without the need for new servers, VPNs, or any downtime. They were able to share designs, maintain tight revision and process controls, and work from anywhere, ensuring the continuity of their operations.

• The adoption of Altium Designer and the implementation of Altium 365 and Concord Pro significantly improved Cirris Systems' operations. The company was able to consolidate and manage the data associated with their hardware development, ensuring tight revision control and process tracking. This was particularly important for their clients in the aerospace and aviation industries. Furthermore, the cloud-based platform enabled the team to transition to remote work during the COVID-19 pandemic without any downtime. They were able to share designs, maintain process controls, and work from anywhere, ensuring the continuity of their operations. The platform also provided them with the flexibility to work from home, tradeshows, or onsite with a client, enhancing their operational efficiency and adaptability.