Support apparatus

• US 9,173,295 B2
• Filed: 11/12/2013
• Issued: 10/27/2015
• 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
• Primary Examiner(s): Chen, Xiaoliang
• Application Number:
  US14/077,562
• Publication Number:
  US 20140284093A1
• Time in Patent Office: 714 Days
• Field of Search: 174/266, 716/118, 716/125, 716/137, 101/123, 101/129, 324/763.01
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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:

a memory configured to store a program,

a processor configured to execute the program to;

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

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

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;

determine whether a moved search point position is outside a defensive area for the starting point or another search point; and

add the via at the moved search point when the moved search point position is outside the defensive area.

2. The design support apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor 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 processor is configured to move the search point in a spiral.

4. The design support apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor 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 circuit board.

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

7. The design support apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the defensive area is set based on a wavelength of a signal which is input to or output from the printed circuit board.