AUTOMATED MANUFACTURING SYSTEM

• US 3,567,914 A
• Filed: 12/31/1964
• Issued: 03/02/1971
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/1964
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Clarence C. Pittenger, Edward F. Melin, Harold J. Lindee, Jerry L. Neese, Pemberton, John H., William M. Swenson
• Original Assignee: Clarence C. Pittenger, Edward F. Melin, Harold J. Lindee, Jerry L. Neese, Pemberton, John H., William M. Swenson
• Inventors: Neese, Jerry L., Lindee, Harold J., Melin, Edward F., Pemberton, John H., Pittenger, Clarence C., Swenson, William M.
• Application Number:
  US04/422,682
• Time in Patent Office: 2,252 Days
• US Class Current: 716/137
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/0005 for designing circuits by computer

Abstract

The method of fabricating printed circuit terminal interconnection assemblies including the steps of (a) reading manifestations from a record medium indicative of predetermined terminal interconnections to be formed between designated terminals in a coordinate array; (b) providing signals ordered according to a predetermined system indicative of ordered terminal interconnections in response to the manifestation so read and staring said signals; (c) reading the stored signals and generating terminal interconnection numerical control parameters defining nonintersecting printed circuit paths to be formed on a predetermined coordinate terminal array; and (d) recording the numerical control parameters on a record medium for use in the control of the operation of a numerically controlled reproduction apparatus.

Claims

1. The method of fabricating printed circuit terminal interconnection assemblies including the steps of:

a. reading manifestations from a record medium indicative of predetermined terminal interconnections to be formed between designated terminals in a coordinate array;

b. providing signals ordered according to a predetermined system indicative of ordered terminal interconnections in response to the manifestation so read and storing said signals;

c. Reading the stored signals and generating terminal interconnection numerical control parameters defining nonintersecting printed circuit paths to be formed on a predetermined coordinate terminal array; and

d. recording the numerical control parameters on a record medium for use in the control of the operation of a numerically controlled reproduction apparatus.

2. A method of fabricating printed circuit terminal interconnection assemblies including the steps of:

a. reading manifestations indicative of predetermined terminal interconnections to be formed between designated terminals in a coordinate array from a record medium;

b. Providing signals ordered according to a predetermined system indicative of ordered terminal interconnections in response to the manifestations so read and storing said signals;

c. reading the stored signals and generating terminal interconnection numerical control signals defining nonintersecting printed circuit paths to be formed on a predetermined coordinate terminal array;

d. temporarily storing the numerical control signals; and

e. drawing the master layout on a predetermined scale in response to the stored numerical control signals.

3. A method of fabricating printed circuit terminal interconnection assemblies including the steps of:

a. reading manifestations indicative of predetermined terminal interconnections to be formed between designated terminals in a coordinate array from a record medium;

b. providing signals ordered according to a predetermined system indicative of ordered terminal interconnections in response to the manifestations so read storing said signals;

c. reading the stored signals and generating terminal interconnection numerical control signals defining nonintersecting printed circuit paths to be formed on a predetermined coordinate terminal array;

d. temporarily storing the numerical control signals;

e. drawing the master layout on a predetermined scale in response to the stored numerical control signals;

f. forming an overlay layout of the predetermined coordinate terminal array on a transparent backing material to the same scale as said master layout drawing;

g. placing the transparent array over said drawing and aligning the drawing in a predetermined relationship therewith; and

h. making a composite photograph of the aligned combination of the routed path drawing and the overlay for use in the printed circuit fabrication process.

4. In a system for manufacturing multiplanar circuit module terminal-interconnection assemblies for use in a printed circuit fabrication, where each fabricated plane includes at least an insulating substrate member on which nonintersecting routed printed circuit paths are to be formed and having a plurality of holes arranged in a predetermined coordinate array drilled therethrough, with each hole having its surface plated-through with electrically conductive material, the fabricated planes stacked with respective holes aligned with predetermined one arranged for receiving conductive material therethrough in contact with the plated-through conductive material for providing interlayer electrical and physical coupling, a method for generating route-defining signals indicative of master routed printed circuit interterminal connection layouts for each plane, comprising the steps of:

a. reading manifestations from a record medium indicative of predetermined origin-to-destination terminal connections to be formed by printed circuit paths;

b. providing signals ordered according to a predetermined system indicative of respective ones of ordered terminal interconnections in response to the manifestations so read;

c. storing the ordered signals;

d. sequentially reading ones of said ordered signals relating to associated ones of the origin-to-destination terminals;

e. generating route-defining signals for the origin-to-destination terminals so read for one of the planes, said route being nonintersecting with Previously generated routes on the plane, and storing said nonintersecting route-defining signals as they are generated for use in controlling the reproduction of the origin-to-destination routed paths;

f. generating obstacle-avoiding route-defining signals for the origin-to-destination terminals found to intersect previously generated routes for the plane being prepared, when such a nonintersecting route can be provided, and storing said obstacle-avoiding route-defining signals as generated for use in controlling the reproduction of the obstacle-avoiding origin-to-destination paths;

g. rejecting origin-to-destination terminals which cannot be provided a nonintersecting route on the plane being prepared;

h. repeating steps d-g until all of the stored signals have been considered;

i. advancing the plane level to be prepared and repeating steps d-h for the nonrouted origin-to-destination terminals which can be routed thereon; and

j. repeating steps d-i until all origin-to-destination terminals have been routed on one of said planes.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the step of generating route-defining signals for the origin-to-destination terminals includes the steps of:

a. selecting a beginning direction on the coordinate array for the prospective route;

b. determining a bend point indicative of a preferred coordinate route-defining path based on the selected beginning direction and the coordinate position of the origin terminal and the destination terminal; and

c. rejecting the preferred route when it is found to intersect a previously established route.

6. In a system for manufacturing multiplanar circuit module terminal-interconnection assemblies for use in a printed circuit fabrication, where each fabricated plane includes at least an insulating substrate member on which nonintersecting routed printed circuit paths are to be formed and having a plurality of holes arranged in a predetermined coordinate array drilled therethrough, with each hole having its surface plated-through with electrically conductive material, the fabricated planes stacked with respective holes aligned with predetermined ones arranged for receiving conductive material therethrough in contact with the plated-through conductive material for providing interlayer electrical and physical coupling, a method for generating master routed printed circuit interterminal connection layouts for each plane, comprising the steps of:

a. reading manifestations from a record medium indicative of predetermined origin-to-destination terminal connections to be formed by printed circuit paths;

b. providing signals ordered according to a predetermined system indicative of respective ones of ordered terminal interconnections in response to the manifestations so read;

c. storing the ordered signals;

d. sequentially reading ones of said ordered signals relating to associated ones of the origin-to-destination terminals;

e. generating route-defining signals for the origin-to-destination terminals so read for one of the planes, said route being nonintersecting with previously generated routes on the plane, and storing said nonintersecting route-defining signals as they are generated;

f. generating obstacle-avoiding route-defining signals for the origin-to-destination terminals found to intersect previously generated routes for the plane being prepared, when such a nonintersecting route can be provided, and storing said obstacle-avoiding route-defining signals as generated;

g. rejecting origin-to-destination terminals which cannot be provided a nonintersecting route on the plane being prepared;

h. repeating steps d-g until all of the stored signals have been considered;

i. advancing the plane level to be prepared and repeating steps d-h for the nonrouted origin-to-destination terminals which can be routed thereon;

j. repeating steps d-i until All origin-to-destination terminals have been routed on one of said planes; and

k. applying the route-defining signals to a numerically controlled plotting apparatus and drawing the master layout on a predetermined scale for each of the planes so prepared in response to the applied route-defining signals.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the step of generating route-defining signals for the origin-to-destination terminals includes the steps of:

a. selecting a beginning direction on the coordinate array for the prospective route;

b. determining a bend point indicative of a preferred coordinate route-defining path based on the selected beginning direction and the coordinate position of the origin terminal and the destination terminal; and

c. rejecting the preferred route when it is found to intersect a previously established route.

8. In a system for manufacturing multiplanar circuit module terminal-interconnection assemblies for use in a printed circuit fabrication, where each fabricated plane includes at least an insulating substrate member on which nonintersecting routed printed circuit paths are to be formed and having a plurality of holes arranged in a predetermined coordinate array drilled therethrough, with each hole having its surface plated-through with electrically conductive material, the fabricated planes stacked with respective holes aligned with predetermined one arranged for receiving conductive material therethrough in contact with the plated-through conductive material for providing interlayer electrical and physical coupling, a method for generating master routed printed circuit interterminal connection layouts composite photographs for each plane for use in the printed circuit fabrication process, comprising the steps of:

a. reading manifestations from a record medium indicative of predetermined origin-to-destination terminal connections to be formed by printed circuit paths;

b. providing signals ordered according to a predetermined system indicative of respective ones of ordered terminal interconnections in response to the manifestations so read;

c. storing the ordered signals;

d. sequentially reading ones of said ordered signals relating to associated ones of the origin-to-destination terminals;

e. generating route-defining signals for the origin-to-destination terminals so read for one of the planes, said route being nonintersecting with previously generated routes on the plane, and storing said nonintersecting route-defining signals as they are generated;

f. generating obstacle-avoiding route-defining signals for the origin-to-destination terminals found to intersect previously generated routes for the plane being prepared, when such a nonintersecting route can be provided, and storing said obstacle-avoiding route-defining signals as generated;

g. rejecting origin-to-destination terminals which cannot be provided a nonintersecting route on the plane being prepared;

h. repeating steps d-g until all of the stored signals have been considered;

i. advancing the plane level to be prepared and repeating steps d-h for the nonrouted origin-to-destination terminals which can be routed thereon;

j. repeating steps d-i until all origin-to-destination terminals have been routed on one of said planes;

k. applying the route-defining signals to a numerically controlled plotting apparatus and drawing the master layout on a predetermined scale for each of the planes so prepared in response to the applied route-defining signals;

l. forming an overlay layout of the predetermined coordinate terminal array on a transparent backing material to the same scale as said master layout drawings;

m. sequentially placing the transparent array over each of said drawings and aligning the respective drawings in a predetermined relationship therewith; and

n. photographing the aligned combination of the routed path drawings and the overlay to form the mastEr routed layout for each plane for use in the printed circuit fabrication process.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the step of generating route-defining signals for the origin-to-destination terminals includes the steps of:

a. selecting a beginning direction on the coordinate array for the prospective route;

b. determining a bend point indicative of a preferred coordinate route-defining path based on the selected beginning direction and the coordinate position of the origin terminal and the destination terminal; and

c. rejecting the preferred route when it is found to intersect a previously established route.

10. In a system for manufacturing multiplanar circuit module terminal-interconnection assemblies for use in a printed circuit fabrication, where each fabricated plane includes at least an insulating substrate member on which nonintersecting routed printed circuit paths are to be formed and having a plurality of holes arranged in a predetermined coordinate array drilled therethrough, with each hole having its surface plated-through with electrically conductive material, the fabricated planes stacked with respective holes aligned with predetermined ones arranged for receiving conductive material therethrough in contact with the plated-through conductive material for providing interlayer electrical and physical coupling, a method for generating master routed printed circuit interterminal connection layouts for each plane, for use in the printed circuit fabrication process, including the steps of:

a. reading manifestations from a record medium indicative of predetermined origin-to-destination terminal connections to be formed by printed circuit paths for a selected chassis;

b. providing signals ordered according to a predetermined system indicative of respective ones of ordered terminal interconnections in response to the manifestations so read;

c. storing the ordered signals;

d. selecting a predetermined number of planes for the chassis interconnections;

e. establishing an image storage table with a discrete location for each routable area on the coordinate array for storing signals indicative of the direction of a routed path passing through the locations;

f. sequentially reading ones of said ordered signals relating to associated ones of the origin-to-destination terminals;

g. selecting a beginning direction on the coordinate array for the prospective route;

h. determining a bend point indicative of a preferred coordinate route-defining path based on the selected beginning direction and the coordinate position of the origin terminal and the destination terminal;

i. rejecting a preferred route found to intersect a routable area already utilized by a previously established route, as determined by signals stored in said image table;

j. storing an acceptable route in associated locations in said image table;

k. generating obstacle-avoiding route-defining signals for the origin-to-destination terminals found to intersect previously generated routes for the plane being prepared, when such a nonintersecting route can be provided, and storing said obstacle-avoiding route-defining signals, as generated, in the image table locations associated with said route;

l. rejecting origin-to-destination terminals which cannot be provided a nonintersecting route on the plane being prepared;

m. repeating steps f-1 until all of the stored signals have been considered;

n. advancing the plane level to be prepared and repeating steps e-m for the nonrouted origin-to-destination terminals which can be routed thereon;

o. terminating the routing process where the predetermined number of planes have been processed; and

p. indicating the number, if any, of the origin-to-destination terminals remaining unrouted.

11. In a system for manufacturing multiplanar circuit module terminal-interconnection assemblies for use in a printed circuit fabrication, where each fabricated plaNe includes at least an insulating substrate member on which nonintersecting routed printed circuit paths are to be formed and having a plurality of holes arranged in a predetermined coordinate array drilled therethrough, with each hole having its surface plated-through with electrically conductive material, the fabricated planes stacked with respective holes aligned with predetermined ones arranged for receiving conductive material therethrough in contact with the plated-through conductive material for providing interlayer electrical and physical coupling, a method for generating master routed printed circuit interterminal connection layout drawings for each plane, for use in the printed circuit fabrication process, including the steps of:

a. reading manifestations from a record medium indicative of predetermined origin-to-destination terminal connections to be formed by printed circuit paths for a selected chassis;

b. providing signals ordered according to a predetermined system indicative of respective ones of ordered terminal interconnections in response to the manifestations so read;

c. storing the ordered signals;

d. selecting a predetermined number of planes for the chassis interconnections;

e. establishing an image storage table with a discrete location for each routable area on the coordinate array for storing signals indicative of the direction of a routed path passing through the locations;

f. sequentially reading ones of said ordered signals relating to associated ones of the origin-to-destination terminals;

g. selecting a beginning direction on the coordinate array for the prospective route;

h. determining a bend point indicative of a preferred coordinate route-defining path based on the selected beginning direction and the coordinate position of the origin terminal and the destination terminal;

i. rejecting a preferred route found to intersect a routable area already utilized by a previously established route, as determined by signals stored in said image table;

j. storing an acceptable route in associated locations in said image table;

k. generating obstacle-avoiding route-defining signals for the origin-to-destination terminals found to intersect previously generated routes for the plane being prepared, when such a nonintersecting route can be provided, and storing said obstacle-avoiding route-defining signals as generated, in the image table location associated with said route;

12. In a system for manufacturing multiplanar circuit module terminal-interconnection assemblies for use in a printed circuit fabrication, where each fabricated plane includes at least an insulating substrate member on which nonintersecting routed printed circuit paths are to be formed and having a plurality of holes arranged in a predetermined coordinate array drilled therethrough, with each hole having its surface plated-through with electrically conductive material, the fabricated planes stacked with respective holes aligned with predetermined ones arranged for receiving conductive material therethrough in contact wiTh the plated-through conductive material for providing interlayer electrical and physical coupling, a method for generating master routed printed circuit interterminal connection layout composite photographs for each plane, for use in the printed circuit fabrication process, comprising the steps of:

a. reading manifestations from a record medium indicative of predetermined origin-to-destination terminal connections to be formed by printed circuit paths for a selected chassis;

b. providing signals ordered according to a predetermined system indicative of respective ones of ordered terminal interconnections in response to the manifestations so read;

c. storing the ordered signals;

d. selecting a predetermined number of planes for the chassis interconnections;

e. establishing an image storage table with a discrete location for each routable area on the coordinate array for storing signals indicative of the direction of a routed path passing through the locations;

f. sequentially reading ones of said ordered signals relating to associated ones of the origin-to-destination terminals;

g. selecting a beginning direction on the coordinate array for the prospective route;

h. determining a bend point indicative of a preferred coordinate route-defining path based on the selected beginning direction and the coordinate position of the origin terminal and the destination terminal;

i. rejecting a preferred route found to intersect a routable area already utilized by a previously established route, as determined by signals stored in said image table;

j. storing an acceptable route in associated locations in said image table;

k. generating obstacle-avoiding route-defining signals for the origin-to-destination terminals found to intersect previously generated routes for the plane being prepared, when such a nonintersecting route can be provided, and storing said obstacle-avoiding route-defining signals, as generated, in the image table locations associated with said route;