Method and apparatus for configurable printed circuit board circuit layout pattern

• US 7,721,238 B2
• Filed: 09/21/2005
• Issued: 05/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Digi International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Digi International Inc.
• Inventors: Feng, Jun, Hoffman, John W., Rogers, Norman L., Krauter, Charles
• Primary Examiner(s): Siek; Vuthe
• Application Number:
  US11/231,642
• Publication Number:
  US 20060195804A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,700 Days
• Field of Search: 716 8- 14, 716/15
• US Class Current: 716/119
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/39 Circuit design at the physical level physical level design for reconfigurable circuits G06F30/347
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0206 by printed thermal vias
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/029 having a programmable lay-out, i.e. adapted for choosing between a few possibilities
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0295 adapted for choosing between different types or different locations of mounted components
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/111 Pads for surface mounting, e.g. lay-out
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/114 Pad being close to via, but not surrounding the via
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/093 Layout of power planes, ground planes or power supply conductors, e.g. having special clearance holes therein
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/09309 Core having two or more power planes; Capacitive laminate of two power planes
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/09418 Special orientation of pads, lands or terminals of component, e.g. radial or polygonal orientation
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/09454 Inner lands, i.e. lands around via or plated through-hole in internal layer of multilayer PCB
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/09663 Divided layout, i.e. conductors divided in two or more parts
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/09954 More mounting possibilities, e.g. on same place of PCB, or by using different sets of edge pads
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10022 Non-printed resistor
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10166 Transistor
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10636 Leadless chip, e.g. chip capacitor or resistor
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2203/173 Adding connections between adjacent pads or conductors, e.g. for modifying or repairing
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/0005 for designing circuits by computer
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/0064 onto a polymeric substrate
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 70/50 Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49117 Conductor or circuit manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49124 : On flat or curved insulated base, e.g., printed circuit, etc.

Abstract

A method and apparatus for inputting a plurality of different circuit schematics designed with printed circuit board (PCB) mountable components; extracting circuit topologies for said plurality of different circuit schematics; transforming said extracted circuit topologies to a fixed number of connection points; and generating a configurable circuit PCB physical layout pattern having said fixed number of connection points such that said PCB mountable components when positioned on one or more of said fixed number of connection points can implement any circuit represented by said plurality of different circuit schematics.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

inputting a plurality of different circuits schematics designed with printed circuit board (PCB) mountable components;

extracting circuit topologies for said plurality of different circuits schematics;

transforming said extracted circuit topologies to a fixed number of connection points; and

generating a configurable circuit PCB physical layout pattern having said fixed number of connection points such that said PCB mountable components when positioned on one or more of said fixed number of connection points can implement any circuit represented by said plurality of different circuits schematics.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising placing said connection points such that said PCB mountable components are at a fixed multiple of an angular relationship to each other.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein said angular relationship is 15 degrees.