Reannotation changes component reference designators, even when the circuit and physical placement stay the same. A board may remain electrically correct while its old BOM, placement file, test instructions, and failure notes now refer to different components. Control the identity change across the complete release package.
Altium’s positional annotation documentation describes retaining the mapping from previous to new designators. Preserve that mapping during your own review. It is the bridge between earlier evidence and the newly named design.
Identify consumers of the references
Before renaming, list the files and processes that use designators. Include BOM grouping, pick-and-place data, assembly drawings, test-point lists, programming instructions, rework notes, inspection programs, and service documents. A reference printed on the board is only one of these dependencies. Ask the people responsible for inspection and test to identify references embedded in station programs or fixture labels; those dependencies may not appear in the CAD project directory.
Also identify material already in progress. If boards with the old legend exist, their documentation may need to remain available as a distinct revision. Avoid silently replacing the old assembly drawing with the new one and expecting operators to infer the mapping.
Review the mapping itself
| Check | Failure it can reveal |
|---|---|
| Every old physical component has one new identity | Missing or unintentionally duplicated mapping |
| Multi-unit symbols remain one physical package | Incorrect unit association |
| Board and schematic agree | One side of the design was not synchronized |
| Preserved references remain preserved | Unintended changes to controlled interfaces |
Do not match components by value alone. Several resistors may share a value while serving different functions. Use the design’s persistent association and inspect distinctive nets or positions when resolving an uncertain match.
Regenerate as one release
- Save the before-and-after designator map.
- Synchronize schematic and board using the tool’s supported workflow.
- Check component count, connectivity, and physical placement.
- Regenerate all identity-dependent manufacturing files.
- Review assembly and test documents against the new identifiers.
- Label the released package so it cannot be confused with the previous one.
Reannotation does not require requalifying every unchanged electrical property, but it does require checking that instructions still identify the intended hardware. An old photograph labeled R17 may be useful evidence only when its design revision is known.
Close the change with a short statement of which outputs were regenerated and which historical records retain the old naming. Use the BOM and placement reference comparison to catch mismatched exports before assembly.
Move from reading to a build-ready project
Use the fabrication and assembly checklists to prepare drawings, production files and test requirements.
Open the DFM checklist