Unisys Corporation

Robert H Fix

Daniel A Jochym

Christian E Shenberger

Vladimir K Tamarkin

A method, system, and product for routing nets along a printed circuit board through an obstacle field and a circuit board having traces produced in accordance with the routed nets is disclosed. The nets are routed by identifying a general path for each of a pair of nets between adjacent rows of obstacles within an obstacle field, selectively lengthening at least one of the nets by shifting at least one portion of the net toward a position between adjacent pads in one of the rows, thereby increasing the length of the net, and selectively increasing the mean spacing between the pair of nets by shifting at least one portion of at least one net of the pair away from the other net of the pair toward a position between adjacent pads in one of the rows, thereby reducing cross-talk between the nets.

System and method for printed circuit board net routing

A printed circuit board having a dielectric layer is disclosed. At least one signal trace is disposed adjacent a first surface of the dielectric layer in a first signal area. A reference plane is disposed adjacent a second surface of the dielectric layer in a first reference area positioned opposite the first signal area. The reference plane is configured to carry a reference potential for signals on the signal trace. At least one other signal trace is disposed adjacent the second surface of the dielectric layer in a second signal area and coupled to the signal trace in said first signal area. A second reference plane is disposed adjacent the first surface of the first dielectric layer in a second reference area positioned opposite the second signal area. The second reference plane is configured to carry the reference potential for signals on the other signal trace.

Multi-layer printed circuit board and signal routing therein

A printed circuit board (PCB) comprises a number of electrically conductive layers. Instead of coating, or plating, a PCB through-hole with an electrically conductive material to form a via (for the purpose of connecting together signal paths across the electrically conductive layers)&mdash;the via is formed by placing a conductive stake, or conductive pin, in the through-hole.

Alternative to through-hole-plating in a printed circuit board

Apparatus and methods for defining circuit routing paths between electronic components on a substrate are disclosed. A method according to the invention includes associating one or more routing rules with connections between the components, wherein at least one of the routing rules is a minimum length routing rule; defining a first set of routing paths between the components while ignoring the minimum length routing rule; and modifying the first set of routing paths by enforcing the minimum length routing rule. Apparatus for defining circuit routing paths between components on a substrate includes a database and a routing engine that accepts the database as input. The database has an entry that includes a connection that is represented by a signal traveling between a start point and an end point on the substrate, and a set of routing rules associated with the connection. The set of routing rules includes at least a minimum length routing rule. The routing engine defines a first routing path from the start point to the end point that provides information necessary to establish the connection, while ignoring the minimum length routing rule associated with the connection. The routing engine then enforces the minimum length routing rule by increasing the length of the first routing path to define a modified routing path.

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Schwenksville, PA, United States of America

Robert H Fix