Introduction

An overview of Quilter’s automated PCB layout service, detailing workflow steps, integration with existing CAD tools, and evaluation criteria.

Quilter is an automated PCB design software service that leverages generative AI and physics-based optimization to automate and streamline circuit board layout.

Here's how it works:

The basics

1. Quilter handles the entire PCB design process from start to finish. Quilter supports the full design workflow, which includes component placement, routing, and thorough design validation through automated DRC checks and physics simulations.

2. Quilter integrates seamlessly with your current CAD tools. It works directly with both new and existing design files created within your existing CAD tools. This means you can skip using SPECCTRA, ODB, or third-party file converters. Quilter reads and writes to your design files just like your layout engineers do.

3. Whatever you start, Quilter will finish. Quilter works by placing and routing any components left outside your board outline to design your PCB to 100%. This means that you can place or route sensitive components or signals before submitting to Quilter, and it will try to complete the design for you.

How Quilter evaluates layout candidates

There are three key factors that Quilter considers when generating and recommending layout candidates:

1. Completeness We measure "routing completion" for each candidate as the percentage of unrouted pins that have been successfully implemented. Quilter's objective is to place and route all designs to 100%.

2. Manufacturability Quilter's objective is to design using fabrication rules that are fully supported by the specified fabricator, and contain 0 DRC violations.

3. Physics Quilter uses our "Physics Rule Checks" (PRCs) framework to ensure that the sensitive signals and physics constraints you specified during Circuit Comprehension are properly implemented and likely to function as expected.

Quilter's design workflow

Quilter simplifies the PCB design process into clear, straightforward steps: prepare your inputs, define your circuit comprehensions and parameters, review generated design candidates, and download your final layouts for fabrication.

1

Prepare your input board file

Quilter requires a schematic and "starter" board file that includes a valid board outline, netlist, and component footprints. Leave the components you want Quilter to place and route outside of the board outline.

2

Upload your design files

Upload your design files to Quilter's web application. We will parse your board file to ensure we can correctly read your board objects, and process your schematic to automatically detect physics constraints.

3

Define physics constraints

Review, validate, and add or remove physics constraints in a step known as Circuit Comprehension. Quilter utilizes this information to ensure that sensitive design features are implemented correctly and to provide corresponding Physics Rule Checks that evaluate and recommend layouts.

4

Specify design parameters

Provide Quilter with details about your layout preferences, such as your desired fabricator, the number of layers, and the fabrication tolerances.

5

Submit your layout job

Submit your job! Quilter will explore hundreds of individual design variations with different stack-ups and fabrication tolerances, validating Physics Rule Checks (PRCs) for every constraint specified in Circuit Comprehension.

6

Review layout candidates

Review the recommended layout candidates from Quilter and choose your preferred option. Download your chosen candidate back into your original CAD file format for a final review.

Quilter's technical submission review process

The steps outlined here are the current actions required to prepare a board for Quilter and a guide to successful submission to Quilter.

1. Open Schematic to check the following:

   1. Logical Complete Circuits on Each Schematic Page

   2. Net Class Definitions

   3. Bypass Cap ID - Explicit Assignment

2. Open board file

   1. Import changes from schematic into board file.

   2. DRC Rules Review/Run

   3. Draw Rooms/Manage Floor Plan

3. Upload to Quilter

   1. Manufacturing Guidelines

      1. Confirm Stackup/Layers Perferred

      2. Trace and Space Guidance

      3. CM and EMS Specs/Templates

   2. Physics Checks

      1. Verify Bypass Capacitors - validate

      2. Verify Differential Pair

      3. Verify Crystals

      4. Power Nets - add by net class, discuss power pours

      5. Net Widths - are there specific widths

      6. Impedance Control - add by net class

      7. Verify Switching Converters

      8. Verify Rooms

      9. Discuss Preserve Pours

4. Submit and Run.