A method for automatically checking the current carrying capacity of a PCB power channel

Abstract

The present invention particularly relates to an automated inspection method for the current carrying capacity of a PCB power channel. The automated inspection method for the current carrying capacity of a PCB power channel calls a DRC API interface and a power channel information collection API, writes an automated inspection tool for current channel impedance design, adds power channel information to the parameters set by the rules, and adds a program for inspecting the current channel in the script; finally, the program for inspecting the current channel is added to the menu bar. The automated inspection method for the current carrying capacity of a PCB power channel uses Cadence Allegro as a platform, modifies the internal program, sets parameters such as current size, copper thickness, and via size in the rule table, draws a conclusion through internal calculation, and intuitively sees whether the power channel meets the current requirements in the form of DRC, which can not only effectively avoid defects such as insufficient current channel design load capacity caused by human factors, but also reduce the workload of designers, improve PCB quality, avoid repeated revisions due to insufficient power design, and shorten project cycles.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of PCB design, and in particular to an automatic inspection method for the current carrying capacity of a PCB power channel. Background Art

[0002] PCB (Printed Circuit Board), also known as printed circuit board in Chinese, is an important electronic component, a support for electronic components, and a carrier for electrical connection of electronic components. Because it is made by electronic printing, it is called a "printed" circuit board.

[0003] In the current PCB design process, the research and development of power supply is a very important part. A poor PCB has poor EMC performance, high output noise, weak anti-interference ability, and even basic functions may not be guaranteed. However, in the PCB design process, checking the current size of the power channel is a tedious process, and can only be done by manually checking whether the design of each power channel meets the current design requirements.

[0004] However, manual inspection has the following drawbacks:

[0005] (1) The error rate is high. In order to ensure the accuracy of the inspection, each power channel needs to be checked repeatedly manually, which results in low work efficiency;

[0006] (2) Every time a power channel error is detected, the developer needs to modify the corresponding PCB. After the PCB is modified, it is necessary to recheck all power channels of the revised PCB. Therefore, repeated revisions of the PCB will undoubtedly greatly extend the project cycle.

[0007] In order to avoid defects such as insufficient load capacity of current channel design caused by human factors, the present invention proposes an automatic inspection method for the current carrying capacity of a PCB power channel. Summary of the invention

[0008] In order to overcome the defects of the prior art, the present invention provides a simple and efficient automatic inspection method for the current carrying capacity of a PCB power supply channel.

[0009] The present invention is achieved through the following technical solutions:

[0010] A method for automatically checking the current carrying capacity of a PCB power channel, characterized in that it comprises the following steps:

[0011] The first step is to call the DRC (Dynamic range control) API (Application Programming Interface) interface and the power channel information collection API interface;

[0012] The second step is to write an automated checking tool for current channel impedance design. By changing the program, the power channel information collected by the power channel information collection API interface is added to the parameters set by the rule, and a program for checking the current channel is added to the script.

[0013] The third step is to add the program for checking the current channel to the menu bar.

[0014] In the first step, the power channel information collected by calling the power channel information collection API interface includes power current size, stack thickness, dielectric thickness and copper foil thickness parameters.

[0015] In the second step, the specific implementation steps are as follows:

[0016] S1. First, formulate the corresponding relationship between current and impedance;

[0017] S2. Calculate the corresponding impedance value Rreal according to the power channel information;

[0018] S3. Input the current channel load current Iref required by the design;

[0019] S4. Compare the impedance value Rreal with the reference impedance Rref. If it indicates that the power supply channel design is insufficient and the current carrying capacity needs to be increased, a DRC error alarm is output;

[0020] S5. Traverse all power supply channels until all power supply channels have no DRC errors.

[0021] In step S1, the corresponding relationship between current magnitude and impedance is as follows:

[0022] Rref=Iref / K

[0023] Among them, Rref is the reference impedance, Iref is the current requirement, and K is the proportional parameter.

[0024] 1A current requires 40mil line width, that is, Iref = trace (copper) width / 40mil; in step S2, the corresponding impedance value Rreal is calculated according to the power channel information, and the calculation formula is as follows:

[0025] Rreal=Trace width*k / 40mil

[0026] In step S4, if Rreal>Rref, it means that the power channel design is insufficient and the current carrying capacity needs to be increased, and a DRC error alarm is output; if Rreal<Rref, it means that the power channel design is normal.

[0027] In the second step, when a DRC error alarm is output, the designer is notified to modify the corresponding power supply channel, and steps S2 to S5 are performed on the revised PCB until all power supply channels have no DRC errors.

[0028] In the second step, steps S1 to S5 are written into a script tool in the form of a skill program and loaded into the menu bar through the Cadence Allegro menu loading tool.

[0029] In the second step, select the script tool to be loaded by browsing buttons, and load the script by clicking the load button in the Cadence Allegro menu.

[0030] The beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows: the method for automatically checking the current carrying capacity of a PCB power channel uses Cadence Allegro as a platform, modifies an internal program, sets parameters such as current size, copper thickness and via size in a rule table, draws a conclusion through internal calculation, and visually sees in the form of DRC whether the power channel meets the current requirement. This method can not only effectively avoid defects such as insufficient load capacity of the current channel design caused by human factors, but also reduce the workload of designers, improve PCB quality, avoid repeated revisions due to insufficient power design, and shorten project cycles. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0031] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, the drawings required for use in the embodiments are briefly introduced below. It should be understood that the following drawings only show certain embodiments of the present invention and therefore should not be regarded as limiting the scope. For ordinary technicians in this field, other related drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative work.

[0032] Attached Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the automatic inspection method of the current carrying capacity of the PCB power channel of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] In order to make the purpose, technical solutions and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention clearer, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Generally, the components of the embodiments of the present invention described and shown in the drawings here can be arranged and designed in various different configurations.

[0034] Cadence Allegro software is a flexible and redevelopable PCB design software that opens a large number of API interfaces to application developers. By calling these API interfaces, many automated design tools can be developed to meet the transition from manual to intelligent, simplify the design process, and improve work efficiency.

[0035] The method for automatically checking the current carrying capacity of a PCB power channel comprises the following steps:

[0036] The first step is to call the DRC (Dynamic range control) API (Application Programming Interface) interface and the power channel information collection API interface;

[0037] The second step is to write an automated checking tool for current channel impedance design. By changing the program, the power channel information collected by the power channel information collection API interface is added to the parameters set by the rule, and a program for checking the current channel is added to the script.

[0038] The third step is to add the program for checking the current channel to the menu bar.

[0039] In the first step, the power channel information collected by calling the power channel information collection API interface includes power current size, stack thickness, dielectric thickness and copper foil thickness parameters.

[0040] In the second step, the specific implementation steps are as follows:

[0041] S1. First, formulate the corresponding relationship between current and impedance;

[0042] S2. Calculate the corresponding impedance value Rreal according to the power channel information;

[0043] S3. Input the current channel load current Iref required by the design;

[0044] S4. Compare the impedance value Rreal with the reference impedance Rref. If it indicates that the power channel design is insufficient and the current carrying capacity needs to be increased, a DRC error alarm is output.

[0045] In step S1, the corresponding relationship between current magnitude and impedance is as follows:

[0046] Rref=Iref / K

[0047] Among them, Rref is the reference impedance, Iref is the current requirement, and K is the proportional parameter.

[0048] 1A current requires 40mil line width, that is, Iref = trace (copper) width / 40mil; in step S2, the corresponding impedance value Rreal is calculated according to the power channel information, and the calculation formula is as follows:

[0049] Rreal=Trace width*k / 40mil

[0050] In step S4, if Rreal>Rref, it means that the power channel design is insufficient and the current carrying capacity needs to be increased, and a DRC error alarm is output; if Rreal<Rref, it means that the power channel design is normal.

[0051] In the second step, when a DRC error alarm is output, the designer is notified to modify the corresponding power supply channel, and steps S2 to S5 are performed on the revised PCB until all power supply channels have no DRC errors.

[0052] In the second step, steps S1 to S5 are written into a script tool in the form of a skill program and loaded into the menu bar through the Cadence Allegro menu loading tool.

[0053] In the second step, select the script tool to be loaded by browsing buttons, and load the script by clicking the load button in the Cadence Allegro menu.

[0054] Compared with the prior art, the automated inspection method for the current carrying capacity of a PCB power channel has the following characteristics:

[0055] First, using Cadence Allegro as the platform, by modifying the internal program, setting parameters such as power current, stack thickness, dielectric thickness, and copper foil thickness in the rule table, drawing conclusions through internal calculations, and visually checking in the form of DRC whether the power channel meets the current requirements, it can effectively avoid defects such as insufficient load capacity of the current channel design caused by human factors;

[0056] Second, when applied to the actual PCB design process, it can reduce the workload of designers, improve PCB quality, and avoid long project cycles caused by repeated revisions due to insufficient power supply design, thereby significantly shortening the project cycle.

[0057] The above is a detailed introduction to a method for automatically checking the current carrying capacity of a PCB power channel in an example of the present invention. This section uses specific examples to illustrate the principles and implementation methods of the invention. The above examples are only used to help understand the core idea of ​​the present invention. Without departing from the principles of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work should fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for automatically checking the current carrying capacity of a PCB power channel, characterized in that: The following steps are involved: The first step is to call the DRC API interface and the power channel information collection API interface; The power channel information collected by calling the power channel information collection API interface includes power current size, stack thickness, dielectric thickness and copper foil thickness parameters; The second step is to write an automated checking tool for current channel impedance design. By changing the program, the power channel information collected by the power channel information collection API interface is added to the parameters set by the rule, and a program for checking the current channel is added to the script. The specific implementation steps are as follows: S1. First, formulate the corresponding relationship formula between current magnitude and impedance; the corresponding relationship formula between current magnitude and impedance is as follows: Rref=Iref / K Among them, Rref is the reference impedance, Iref is the current requirement, and K is the proportional parameter; 1A current requires 40mil line width, that is, Iref = line width / 40mil; S2. Calculate the corresponding impedance value Rreal according to the power channel information; the calculation formula of the impedance value Rreal is as follows: Rreal= trace width×K / 40mil; S3. Input the current channel load current Iref required by the design; S4. Compare the impedance value Rreal with the reference impedance Rref. If the impedance value Rreal is greater than the reference impedance Rref, a DRC error alarm is output; S5. Traverse all power channels until all power channels have no DRC errors; The third step is to add the program for checking the current channel to the menu bar.

2. The method for automatically checking the current carrying capacity of a PCB power channel according to claim 1, characterized in that: In step S4, if Rreal>Rref, it means that the power channel design is insufficient and the current carrying capacity needs to be increased, and a DRC error alarm is output; if Rreal<Rref, it means that the power channel design is normal.

3. The method for automatically checking the current carrying capacity of a PCB power channel according to claim 1, characterized in that: In the second step, when a DRC error alarm is output, the designer is notified to modify the corresponding power supply channel, and steps S2 to S5 are executed on the revised PCB until all power supply channels have no DRC errors.

4. The method for automatically checking the current carrying capacity of a PCB power channel according to claim 1, characterized in that: In the second step, steps S1 to S5 are written into a script tool in the form of a skill program, and loaded into the menu bar through the Cadence Allegro menu loading tool.

5. The method for automatically checking the current carrying capacity of a PCB power channel according to claim 4, characterized in that: In the second step, select the script tool to be loaded by browsing buttons, and load the script by clicking the load button in the Cadence Allegro menu.

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