Pin unspecific device planning for printed circuit board layout
First Claim
1. A printed circuit board (PCB) block diagram tool for block diagram level editing of a PCB design abstracted from a PCB physical layout tool, the PCB block diagram tool comprising:
- a plurality of interface objects representing interfaces between components, wherein each of the plurality of interface objects include a plurality of signal, power and ground signal lines without defined physical assignment to pin or pad;
a plurality of block objects representing a plurality of physical objects in the PCB physical layout tool, wherein the plurality of blocks are configured to accept the plurality of interface objects;
the plurality of interface objects can be assigned to a block object without requiring mapping to pins or pads; and
interconnect lines that connect the plurality of interface objects between the plurality of block objects.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A printed circuit board (PCB) block diagram tool for block diagram level editing of a PCB design abstracted from a PCB physical layout tool is disclosed. The PCB block diagram tool includes a plurality of interface objects, a plurality of block objects and interconnect lines. The plurality of interface objects represents interfaces between components. Each of the plurality of interface objects include a plurality of signal, power and ground signal lines without defined physical assignment to pin or pad. The plurality of block objects represents a plurality of physical objects in the PCB physical layout tool. The plurality of blocks are configured to accept the plurality of interface objects. Interconnect lines connect the plurality of interface objects between the plurality of block objects.
10 Citations
17 Claims
-
1. A printed circuit board (PCB) block diagram tool for block diagram level editing of a PCB design abstracted from a PCB physical layout tool, the PCB block diagram tool comprising:
-
a plurality of interface objects representing interfaces between components, wherein each of the plurality of interface objects include a plurality of signal, power and ground signal lines without defined physical assignment to pin or pad; a plurality of block objects representing a plurality of physical objects in the PCB physical layout tool, wherein the plurality of blocks are configured to accept the plurality of interface objects; the plurality of interface objects can be assigned to a block object without requiring mapping to pins or pads; and interconnect lines that connect the plurality of interface objects between the plurality of block objects. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
-
-
8. A computer-implemented method for using a PCB block diagram tool for block diagram level editing of a PCB design abstracted from a PCB physical layout tool, the method comprising:
-
providing a plurality of interface objects representing interfaces between components, wherein each of the plurality of interface objects include a plurality of signal, power and ground signal lines without defined physical assignment to pin or pad; providing a plurality of block objects representing a plurality of physical objects; receiving indication of which of the plurality of interface objects should be associated with the plurality of blocks without requiring mapping to pins or pads; assigning the plurality of interface objects to the plurality of blocks; receiving indication of how interconnect lines connect the plurality of interface objects with the plurality of block objects; and assigning interconnect lines using a computer. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
-
-
14. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium comprising executable instructions for a PCB block diagram tool that provides block diagram level editing of a PCB design abstracted from a PCB physical layout tool, the executable instructions comprising code for:
-
receiving indication of which of a plurality of interface objects should be associated with a plurality of blocks, wherein; the plurality of interface objects represent interfaces between components, each of the plurality of interface objects include a plurality of signal, power and ground signal lines without defined physical assignment to pin or pad, and the plurality of block objects represent a plurality of physical objects; assigning the plurality of interface objects to the plurality of blocks without requiring mapping to pins or pads; receiving indication of how interconnect lines connect the plurality of interface objects with the plurality of block objects; and assigning interconnect lines. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17)
-
Specification