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HobbyPlatform EDA Tools


I've done some work to integrate PCB and MUCS, plus add a trace optimizer... With these patches, you can use the Connections->MUCS Router menu entry to invoke a small popup that configures and triggers the anneal_tracker program from MUCS. It doesn't handle 45-degree lines, polys, arcs, or other "unusual" board things yet, and assumes the two SMD layers are called solder and component. It doesn't handle layer groups.

You can also use the various trace optimizers in that menu. They are:

AutoMagic
Performs debumpify, unjaggy, orthopull, vianudge, and viatrim, in that order, repeating until no further optimizations are performed.
Debumpify
Looks for U shaped traces that can be shortened or eliminated.
Unjaggy
Looks for corners which could be flipped to eliminate one or more corners (i.e. jaggy lines become simpler).
Vianudge
Looks for vias where all traces leave in the same direction. Tries to move via in that direction to eliminate one of the traces (and thus a corner).
Viatrim
Looks for traces that go from via to via, where moving that trace to a different layer eliminates one or both vias.
Orthopull
Looks for chains of traces all going in one direction, with more traces orthagonal on one side than on the other. Moves the chain in that direction, causing a net reduction in trace length, possibly eliminating traces and/or corners.
Simple Optimizations
Removing uneeded vias, replacing two or more trace segments in a row with a single segment. This is usually performed automatically after other optimizations.
Miter
Replaces 90 degree corners with a pair of 45 degree corners, to reduce RF losses and trace length.
Before After
Click to see the whole board

Some perl scripts for working with MUCS-PCB...

Updates

04-Sep-2002 - added "pinsnap" pre-pass to line up traces with pins. Modified vianudge to accept vias in mid-trace.


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