Specify design parameters

Explanation of how to specify design parameters in Quilter, distinguishing between fixed requirements in input files and user-defined preferences during submission.

The next step in Quilter's submission process is to review and specify design parameters for your layout. Design parameters help capture your preferences for aspects of the solutions that Quilter explores.

Design parameters come in two types:

1. (Requirements) Parameters defined in the input file. Design parameters defined in the input board file are treated as hard requirements. Quilter will not modify or explore beyond any parameters specified in input files unless explicitly instructed by the user to ignore them.

2. (Preferences) Parameters defined during job creation and submission. Design parameters defined during job creation are considered "preferences" and are usually applied as filters during candidate review. If Quilter can't identify a candidate that meets these preferences, they can be relaxed or eliminated.

Design parameters logged during submission filter the layout options you see during Candidate Review.

Refer to the tables below for a summary of the design parameters supported by Quilter.

Design parameters

Parameter	Description	Preference	Requirement
Fabricators	The PCB manufacturer that a specific layout candidate (stack-up and fabrication ruleset) is designed for.	✅ Filter by fabricator	✅ Enteprise customers only
Stack-ups	The stack-up that Quilter uses when generating your candidate, including layer count, copper weight, material properties, and more.	✅ Layer count only	🔄 Custom stack-ups coming soon
Fabrication rules	Basic design rules that ensure your board can be manufactured without issue – trace, space, drill, via, edge clearances, etc	✅ Trace and space	🔄 Custom fab rules coming soon

Component placement controls

Parameter	Description	Preference	Requirement
Pre-placed components	Lock the location of location-sensitive components so Quilter can't modify it.	⬇️ Use "placement regions"	✅ Place within board outline in input file
Placement regions	Constrict Quilter's placement of unplaced components to a designated area within your board outline.	❌ Placement regions are always respected	✅ Add to input board file
Single-sided placement	Limit placement to one side of the PCB.	✅ Filter for single-sided designs.	⬆️ Use "placement regions"

Net routing controls

Parameter	Description	Preference	Requirement
Pre-routed traces	Lock the routing path of sensitive signals.	❌ Pre-routed traces are always preserved	✅ Leave within board outline in input file
Preserved pours	Preserve existing copper pours from your input pile for Quilter to use when generating candidates.	❌ Preserved pours are always respected	✅ "Lock" pours you want to preserve in input ful
Keepouts	Prevent Quilter from routing traces through specific geometric areas within your design.	❌ Keepouts are always respected	✅ Add keepout to your input file
Net Widths	Manually specify net widths for individual nets or net classes in your design.	❌ Net widths are always respected	✅ Specify "Net Width" in during job setup