PAS-LOP: An Automatic Module Location System for PWB

Abstract

In this paper, an automatic module location system for Printed Wiring Boards (PWB's) is discussed. This system is named LOP (LOcation Processor) and is a subsystem of PAS (Packaging Automation System) which is a total design system for PWB's. The most important feature of the LOP is an objective function settled for optimizing the module location. This optimization aims at both the minimum of total wire length and the uniformly distributed wire. And these factors are indispensable for getting a good location for both the automatic routing process and the PWB manufacturing process. By several experiments, the routing efficiency has been improved and good wiring patterns have been acquired with an automatic routing program.