Modular PCB Layout Templates for Design Rule Compliance
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Solution Overview
Problem
The complexity of designing printed circuit boards (PCBs) that comply with evolving IC technologies and design rules, which often results in laborious and error-prone processes due to ambiguous design rules and the need to create designs from scratch.
Innovation Solution
A processor-based system that provides a list of modular layout templates, allowing users to insert tile layouts with metal lines and components, ensuring compliance with design rules, and simplifying the design process by using known-good templates.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If PCB design is created from scratch using traditional CAD/EDA tools, then the design can be customized to specific requirements, but the design time increases and compliance with design rules becomes difficult to ensure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-validating layout templates against design rules before they are made available to users. The system maintains a library of templates that have already been checked for compliance with design rules, eliminating the need for users to perform time-consuming validation during the design process. This pre-compliance checking ensures reliability while reducing design time.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses copying by allowing users to select and insert pre-validated layout templates into their PCB designs. Instead of creating layouts from scratch, users can copy proven, compliant templates and modify them as needed. This approach ensures design rule compliance is maintained while significantly reducing the time required to create PCB layouts.
2Adaptability or versatility
If PCB design is created from scratch, then the design can be fully customized, but the complexity of the design process increases and errors become more likely
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the PCB layout into modular templates that can be independently selected and assembled. Each template represents a discrete, pre-validated unit that can be copied and combined with others. This modular approach reduces design process complexity while maintaining full customization capability, as users can assemble complex designs from simpler, validated components.
3Ease of manufacture
If traditional design methods are used, then the design process follows conventional workflows, but the laborious nature increases and errors become more prone
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies self-service by implementing an automated system that performs design rule validation on templates. The system automatically checks templates for compliance with design rules and maintains this validation information, reducing the need for manual checking by designers. This automated self-validation reduces errors while maintaining ease of use, as the system handles the complex validation tasks automatically.
Data Source
AI summary
Some examples described herein relate to a design system and a method for printed circuit board (PCB) design. In an example, a design system includes a processor and a memory coupled to the processor. The memory stores instruction code. The processor is configured to execute the instruction code to provide a workspace in a user interface in which a PCB design comprising multiple layers is capable of being created; provide a list of layout templates in the user interface; and provide an insert function, via the user interface, configured to insert a selected layout template of the list of layout templates into the workspace to be included in the PCB design. Each layout template of the list of layout templates is a tile layout that includes a layout component and metal lines that extend to one or more edges of the tile layout.