Migrate from Zuken® CADSTAR™ to Altium Designer®

Transfer Your PCB Design Data With Confidence

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Trusted by top global brands for over 35 years

Keep Your CADSTAR Project Data When You Switch

Use the industry’s best migration tool to import your designs

Use the built-in importer to quickly convert your designs

The Import Wizard in Altium Designer converts your CADSTAR projects to Altium’s file format in minutes.

Take your libraries with you

The migration process converts your CADSTAR symbols and footprints into Altium’s library format.

Minimal cleanup required

The Import Wizard helps you minimize cleanup in your converted schematics and PCB layouts.

Easy to learn, easy to use

Once you’ve converted your projects, you can instantly start updating your designs and using your parts in Altium Designer.

Talk to a Migration Specialist
1-800-544-4186
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Switching from Zuken CADSTAR to
Altium Designer in 3 Simple Steps:

STEP 1
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Prepare Your
CADSTAR Files


Ensure data is saved in CADSTAR file formats (*.CSA, *.CPA, and *.LIB)

STEP 2
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Convert Designs

 

Use the Import Wizard in Altium Designer to convert to Altium’s file format

STEP 3
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Start Working in Altium Designer


You can start updating your converted files and reuse your CADSTAR libraries in new Altium Designer projects

See What Our Customers Say About Altium

"What Altium Designer will give us is the ability to integrate with our mechanical guys as well so that the enclosures we are using and the heatsinking and so forth will be correct with the product from the start. We didn’t get that as easy with CADSTAR, it was a much more laborious process. Now, we’ve got a system where we can go directly to our mechanical software and get the exact stuff we need to make it all work together more seamlessly."

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Scott McCall
Scott McCall

“Delivering a completely new electronic board, on such a compressed schedule using our previous myriad of tools and processes would have been daunting. Altium Designer has helped us accelerate our time to market not only from the design perspective, but also the management/creation of the design/library data and associated documentation.”

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Mark Kanawati
Mark Kanawati

“We’ve been using Altium since we set up our offices in Manizales - a key factor back then was how long it would take us to get the office up to speed, including set up and training. Everyone agreed that Altium had the advantage of a short learning curve to allow us to keep up with tight design and production schedules.”

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Leo
Leo Naranjo

Explore Information to Help You Successfully
Complete the Migration Process

Step-By-Step Guide to Migrate from CADSTAR


Our technical documentation shows how to access and use the Import Wizard to convert CADSTAR design files into Altium Designer’s file format.

Access Migration Guide >

View Technical Documentation >

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Training Programs for Users of All Levels

Altium offers on-demand and instructor-led training programs so that you’re able to quickly and efficiently master PCB design with Altium Designer.

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Experience an Unmatched PCB Design System

Everything you need in a single unified design platform

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Altium Designer’s interactive routing features balance productivity with ease of use via a semi-automated toolset.

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Altium Designer makes critical supply chain insights accessible throughout the platform so that you can make better sourcing decisions.

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Access a high-speed design engine with built-in signal integrity features and automated rules creation for high-speed buses.

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From Migration to Design, We Care About Your Success

Altium offers multiple support options to ensure your success

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Published documentation pages across the Altium family of products and services

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Posts in the last 12 months in the AltiumLive community

All subscription levels include easy access to real-time support, the AltiumLive Community, comprehensive product documentation, training videos, and a knowledge base of targeted solutions for common user experiences.

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Chat Support & Support Tickets

Available to all subscribers 24/5 in all time zones

Engage with support team members via a live chat session. Through chat support, you can get answers to many common issues, including installation, licensing, error messages, or unexpected software behavior. Need more support? You can escalate your chat to a ticket.

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Documentation Center and Knowledge Base

Available 24/7 to anyone

Altium's online technical documentation is an expansive set of resources that helps you find the information you need. Whether you’re looking for a high-level overview or need precise information regarding the functionality of a specific UI element, the documentation center and knowledge base has you covered.

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Altium Academy

24/7 access to helpful videos

Altium Academy is an online learning platform for PCB designers and engineers of every skill level. Learn directly from professionals and industry experts who provide instruction on many topics, including basic PCB design principles, advanced engineering topics, and everything in between.

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Migrate to Altium Designer

Discover Why So Many Engineers Choose Altium Designer Over CADSTAR

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Migrate to Altium Designer
  • Access advanced design tools that are easy to learn
  • All features and files are accessible in a single program
  • Altium simplifies the migration process for Zuken CADSTAR users
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  • All design features are available in the trial version
  • Includes access to an Altium 365® Product Design platform
  • Test the migration process before you buy
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Frequently Asked Questions

Which CADSTAR files are needed for migration?

Users only need their .CSA and .CPA files to migrate from CADSTAR to Altium Designer. To convert models and components, .LIB files are also needed.

How much rework is needed after importing?

The amount of rework varies with each project, but the Import Wizard in Altium Designer was engineered to minimize any required cleanup. After running the Import Wizard, make sure to view the migration log and review the converted design for any required changes.

Can we go back and forth between using Altium Designer and CADSTAR?

After converting your files to the Altium Designer file format, your original files will still be available and can be accessed in CADSTAR.

Can we import existing parts libraries?

Yes, all CADSTAR parts and component libraries can be converted into Altium’s library format.

How long does it take to convert a project to Altium Designer?

It takes just a few minutes for the Import Wizard to complete the conversion process. As with any importer, it is advisable to review the converted files to ensure no cleanup is needed. Make sure layer assignments are correctly mapped between the CADSTAR .CPA file and the new Altium PCB to help reduce cleanup.

What happens to CADSTAR-specific features?

Some features in CADSTAR files may not translate as expected. Therefore, it is essential to review specific features before finalizing your converted files. Please refer to our technical documentation and migration guide to see what features should be reviewed and if any cleanup is required. The overall cleanup process is short and can usually be completed in a few minutes for smaller projects.

CADSTAR™ is a registered trademark of Zuken, Inc., and/or its
subsidiaries and/or affiliates in the USA and/or other countries.