Automatic Multi-Constraint Placement of Printed Circuit Board

Every printed circuit board (PCB) has a complex and changeable placement area. Many physical restrictions bring about constraints in PCB design so that design of PCB automatic placement algorithms shall be greatly challenging. An automatic multi-constraint placement method of PCB that is based on the B*-tree and simulated annealing algorithm is put forward here to reduce the total cost of placement area and HPWL. Thus, placement resources can be optimally utilized. Our main work is as follows: (1) An internal placement strategy that enables IC chip components to be placed preferentially inside the PCB while auxiliary components connected to them are placed close to each other is designed; (2) An obstacle block generation algorithm that is based on area division is applied to place irregular outlines; and (3) Double-layer placement algorithm that is applied to be away from restricted areas for components in double-layer PCB placement. Experimental results on some industrial cases show that our method can inexpensively complete multi-constraint PCB placement.