The "spring" constants in a force directed graph algorithm could be set by a user given priority or even by the length of schematic wires.
On Tue, 6 Mar 2018 05:53 Jon Evans, <j...@craftyjon.com> wrote: > In many commercial tools you can use some or another feature to mark up > the design at the schematic level with what components "go together". > Then that information is used during PCB placement, the first-pass arrange > of components when you start designing a board can place those components > together, but it is also possible to group them together and move as a > group easily, etc. > > There are even some tools that automatically identify bypass capacitors > (did the schematic have a capacitor drawn right near a pin on an IC? In > that case, assume it's a bypass cap) and can place them right near the IC > (and run ERCs to make sure you don't have missing bypass caps, DRC to make > sure they are close enough to the power pin in the layout, etc) > > > > On Mon, Mar 5, 2018 at 1:49 PM, Russell Oliver <roliver8...@gmail.com> > wrote: > >> In terms of automatically arranging components a force directed graph >> algorithm may work quite nicely, especially if the algorithm is seeded with >> the layout of components on the schematic. >> >> A simplistic version would be to just arrange components on board sheet >> as to their position on the schematic sheets. >> >> >> On Tue, 6 Mar 2018 05:07 Andy Peters, <de...@latke.net> wrote: >> >>> >>> >>> > On Mar 5, 2018, at 10:49 AM, Wayne Stambaugh <stambau...@gmail.com> >>> wrote: >>> > >>> > I was thinking one level of abstraction higher where I just input my >>> > design requirements and it spits out a schematic, full simulation to >>> > match the design requirements, and a completed board layout. That >>> would >>> > make my job a *lot* easier. ;) >>> >>> Maybe it can do my FPGA design for me, and also write firmware for the >>> ARM processor too! Why am I doing all of this hard work when I could be >>> drinking coffee and reading the New York Times? >>> >>> > All kidding aside, I was told by a very highly skilled board designer >>> > not to waste our time with auto-routers because no one actually uses >>> > them except for the simplest designs with lots of free board space and >>> > few or no routing restrictions. This is someone who uses Altium in his >>> > day job and has laid out far more boards than I have. >>> >>> At the previous day job, we did VME and CompactPCI single-board >>> computers, and the layout people took advantage of full-up Specctra >>> autorouting. The designs had a lot of wide parallel buses and suchlike >>> which could be autorouted, but there was still plenty of stuff on those >>> boards which needed to be routed manually. And setting up constraints for >>> the autorouter was still a couple of days work. >>> >>> At the current job everything is smaller. Each product has multiple >>> boards that need to connect correctly. Boards are mixed signal, they have >>> power supply parts, there are connectors that poke through the enclosure, >>> etc etc etc and suffice it to say we never autoroute. Assisted routing, >>> like the Kicad push-and-shove, and Altium’s “bus routing” (a feature I’d >>> like to see in Kicad, for sure!) goes a long way. >>> >>> >>> > I'm guessing auto-routers appeal to hobbyists rather than >>> professionals. >>> >>> How many questions on forums do you see from hobbyists asking about how >>> to autoroute, or wondering if the results from the autorouter are good? >>> >>> -a >>> _______________________________________________ >>> Mailing list: https://launchpad.net/~kicad-developers >>> Post to : kicad-developers@lists.launchpad.net >>> Unsubscribe : https://launchpad.net/~kicad-developers >>> More help : https://help.launchpad.net/ListHelp >>> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Mailing list: https://launchpad.net/~kicad-developers >> Post to : kicad-developers@lists.launchpad.net >> Unsubscribe : https://launchpad.net/~kicad-developers >> More help : https://help.launchpad.net/ListHelp >> >> >
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