SUPPORT APPARATUS, VIA ADDING METHOD, AND PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARD

• US 20140284093A1
• Filed: 11/12/2013
• Published: 09/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: NAGASE, Kenji, HIRATSUKA, Yoshiaki, NAKAO, Tomoyuki, SAWADA, Yoshihiro, NAKAMURA, Keisuke
• Granted Patent: US 9,173,295 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 174/266
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/392 Floor-planning or layout, e.g. partitioning or placement
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/115 Via connections; Lands around holes or via connections H05K1/112 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/0005 for designing circuits by computer

Abstract

A design support apparatus includes: an area identifying unit configured to identify a target area where a via is to be added in a printed circuit board; a determining unit configured to determine a starting point for starting a search for a location of the via in the target area; and a searching unit configured to move a search point along a path in an intersecting direction that intersects a radial direction around the starting point while moving the search point in the radial direction and to determine whether the via is to be added at a moved search point.

Claims

1. A design support apparatus comprising:

an area identifying unit configured to identify a target area where a via is to be added in a printed circuit board;

a determining unit configured to determine a starting point for starting a search for a location of the via in the target area; and

a searching unit configured to move a search point along a path in an intersecting direction that intersects a radial direction around the starting point while moving the search point in the radial direction and to determine whether the via is to be added at a moved search point.

2. The design support apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the searching unit is configured to move the search point in a direction away from the starting point in the radial direction.

3. The design support apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the searching unit is configured to move the search point in a spiral.

4. The design support apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the determining unit is configured to determine a barycenter of the target area as the starting point.

5. The design support apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the target area is an area considered to be unaffected by another via which is placed along a border of an entire area in the printed board.

6. The design support apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the searching unit is configured to move the search point along a grid set on the printed circuit board.

7. A via adding method comprising:

identifying a target area where a via is to be added in a printed circuit board;

determining a starting point for starting a search for a location of the via in the target area; and

moving a search point along a path in an intersecting direction that intersects a radial direction around the starting point while moving the search point in the radial direction and determining whether the via is to be added at a moved search point.

8. The via adding method according to claim 7, further comprising,

moving the search point in a direction away from the starting point in the radial direction.

9. The via adding method according to claim 7, further comprising,

moving the search point in a spiral.

10. The via adding method according to claim 7, further comprising,

determining a barycenter of the target area as the starting point.

11. The via adding method according to claim 7, wherein the target area is an area considered to be unaffected by another via which is placed along a border of an entire area in the printed board.

12. The via adding method according to claim 7, further comprising,

moving the search point along a grid set on the printed circuit board.

13. A printed circuit board comprising:

an area provided for each via, the area where one or more other vias are placed within a maximum allowable interval from the via,

wherein, when a first via among a plurality of vias that are not placed along a border of the area is used as a base point, the number of second vias adjacent to the base point in a radial direction around the base point is seven or more.