Kazuhiko Arimoto

Automation of etching-pattern layout

HELP (Heuristic Etching-Pattern Layout Program) is an application program developed to computerize the tedious and error-prone although vitally important wiring design of printed circuit boards. HELP helps automate a design stage one step closer to production than logical design. It can be used to design wiring patterns of two-layer circuit boards on which ICs in dual-in-line packages as well as discrete components such as transistors and resistors have been placed. HELP employs two methods of wiring. One is the heuristic method, which simulates human approaches to wiring design, and the other is the theoretically interesting but time-consuming method of maze-running, based on the Lees algorithm. HELP performs more than 90 percent of required wiring by the heuristic method. The maze-running method finds an optimal path with respect to a performance function for each point-to-point, and point-to-line connection. It can bring the number of successful wiring connections very close to 100 percent.