Auto-router performing simultaneous placement of signal and return paths
US7849427B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jan 29, 2008 |
| Grant date | Dec 7, 2010 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 26, 2029 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH05K2201/09672
- WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
An auto routing method and system provides optimized circuit routing while maintaining proper reference return paths for critical signals. Critical signal paths are auto-routed simultaneously with corresponding reference return paths, and the reference return paths can be merged into reference planes if they are adjacent to regions connected to the same reference net. The reference return paths may be in a plane adjacent to the signal path plane in the same channel, or the reference returns may be routed in adjacent channels in the same plane as the signal path. A check may be performed on endpoints of each critical signal path to determine whether a reference return via is present within a proximity tolerance of the signal path endpoints, and a reference return via placed if not.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.