FUNDAMENTALS

OF ROUTING & PLANES

Fundamentals of Routing and Planes

I
n our last article, we established the PCB stack-up is more which can cause catastrophic manufacturing conflicts if not
than just a thickness diagram; this lays the foundation for re-set to match the requirements of a new project.
routing and utilization of copper planes within the layout.
There are four important topics to consider during completion Once the connectivity of the layout is synchronized with the
of the layout: schematic, it is essential for a designer to surmise which gen-
• Design Rules and Defining Vias eral design rule constraints will best control the new design
• Utilizing Planes and Pours and reset them for the required result.
• Impedance Control and SI
• Routing In general, there are five basic areas which will need to be
configured to match the design you are working on. Four of
Design Rules the five category settings directly affect manufacturability:
copper plane clearance, part outline clearance, drill (hole)
clearance, legend (markings) clearance, and trace length
To successfully complete a PCB layout, it is very important
clearance. The last setting category affects performance:
to set the design rules to match the estimated producibility
trace length clearance.
class of the design. PCB design rules can be set in most
layout tools which allow generic settings to be saved. Design
It will likely take some time for a new designer to learn how to
Rules Checking (DRC) tools will check against these rules
control all the design rule settings. However, concentrating
in real-time, providing you feedback as you go. Having this
on these five categories first should help. Additionally, it is
real-time feedback is invaluable as a designer. Trying to keep
always a good idea to check in with the appropriate manufac-
track of all the rules and how they interrelate manually is not a
turing process stakeholder when initially setting these values.
task you want to take on.
For best DFM, never set values to the stakeholder’s minimum
or maximum capability.

Design rules in a PCB layout tool can be a blessing if under-

stood and set properly. However, they can also be a curse if
not carefully considered and reset from the default settings.

Defining Vias
Via size requirements need to be considered at the beginning
of a layout. Vias are small holes in the PCB which are plated
to make interstitial connections to multiple circuit layers. In
Just about everything pertaining to copper in a PCB design is other words, making connections from one side of the board
controllable in the design rules portion of a PCB layout tool. to the other or to inner layers requires a via.
The pre-set design rule values or “default settings” are set by
a layout tool provider who knows nothing about the new lay- There are three general types of mechanically-drilled vias:
out a designer may be working on. There can be hundreds, if through-hole, buried, and blind.
not thousands, of control variants in the tool’s default settings
 Utilizing Planes and Pours
Power planes are the most effective way to distribute power to
almost every part of the PCB. Power planes are simply formed
by adding layers of copper foil to the stack-up and connecting
them to power or ground. Smaller surface mount technology
(SMT) parts located any place on the board surfaces can
connect to a plane by use of a via. Larger SMT parts requiring
Drilled Vias more power can use multiple vias connected to the power
Mechanically-drilled via holes are kept small for space con- planes. By their physical nature, thru-hole parts will easily
cerns and have a special relationship with PCB thickness due connect to the planes as required. However, for high-current
to the process by which the holes are plated. requirements, designers sometimes add support vias around
a component pin to increase the current path to the pin.
Laser-formed Vias
Due to the conical shape of a hole formed by the laser while
burning through material, designers must pay very close
attention to the width / depth relationship capabilities of the
process. A 1:2 ratio between the width and depth is consid-
ered manufacturable.

Selecting the right type of via

Selecting the proper via type will not only help complete trace
routing but can also help in alternate applications for uses like
EMI shielding and thermal management. However, choosing Besides distribution, copper planes can be used for many
any via type other than a common thru-hole via with a modest other purposes such as:
hole diameter/board thickness aspect ratio will most certainly • EMI reduction return path
incur a cost adder as well. • Added capacity
• EMI shielding and ESD guard band support
As with most things in the PCB manufacturing industry, as • Thermal management– heat sinking
via size shrinks or the complexity goes up, the “yield” of the
PCB run may go down as some part features, such as vias,
fail to pass inspection. Blind vias and blind vias will incur cost
Impedance Control and Signal Integrity
adders because of the unique processes involved.
Industries requiring quick digital applications such as
telecommunications, video, computing, and others rely on
Vias are often a necessity in the design. Knowing the different
impedance control to help minimize signal degradation and
types, benefits, and potential costs will help you make sure
improve signal integrity. A PCB design engineer needs to
you select the best via for your needs avoiding cost and
recognize controlled impedance requirements on a schematic
manufacturability issues downstream.
and be able to manipulate the design layout to achieve them.
 Fundamentals of Routing and Planes
Controlled Impedance be implemented in the interest of both electrical performance
Impedance control on a PCB is required when performance and DFM. These include:
dictates signal degradation in a circuit cannot vary beyond • Fanout
a specified amount expressed in ohms. Impedance control • Routing Power
requirements for PCB layout can be addressed physically in • Routing Critical Lines
the layout by identifying which nets in the design are to be
controlled by their specific impedance value. Always seek There is a saying in the PCB design industry: “90% of the
approval from the PCB fabricator after estimating solutions. routing on a PCB takes only 10% of the time, while 10%
of the remaining routing can take 90% of the time.” This
Signal Integrity perspective describes a designer’s experience toward the
Certain circuits require routing parameters which must be completion of a layout when the fun of routing turns over to an
held for the device signals to run properly. Signal routing ever-increasing challenge. Suddenly there is a realization all
parameters are documented in the component manufacturer’s the fun routes have eaten up all the routing space. The routing
data sheet. There are several parameters to be aware of when challenge will most certainly turn into defeat and a complete
performing placement of the chip, its related components, and do-over if the remaining 10% of the routing includes any
when completing the routing. These include: critical signals. Keep routing fun and challenging—consider
• Lengths and routing order of critical signals critical net noise, clearance, and establishing shortest routing
• Hub routing constraints where a signal routes to a given paths first. At the same time, consider avoiding adjacent layer
point, then splits off to several length-matched destinations parallelism and eliminating circuitous routing paths. Avoid
• Distance to adjacent signals could allow for unwanted complete routing do-overs by routing critical lines first.
signal coupling or “cross-talk”
• Impedance control, either single-ended or differential
• Reference plane running beneath signal routing layers Conclusion

Sometimes PCB electrical performance considerations It might be easy to sum up the process as simply “fitting the
conflict with manufacturing considerations. A designer must parts on the board and hooking them together.” However, the
be able to quickly assess the appropriate compromise. Often intent of this article has been to give a new designer some
companies will have an SI expert or consultant who specializ- basic routing points to consider before, or instead of, simply
es in these types of high-speed signals to ensure proper op- activating an auto-routing routine. Successful routing and
eration. While every designer may not be an SI expert, having plane utilization has a direct effect on circuit performance.
a solid understanding of the critical signals and the general Implementing set-up, routing and establishing copper planes
requirements needed to ensure acceptable signal integrity will in a PCB layout can really make the difference between a
help keep issues to a minimum. dot-to-dot hook-up technician and a designer. Metaphorically,
this comparison may be likened to the steps a skilled pho-
tographer would implement to create a classic photograph.
Routing Without understanding how to properly setup and manipulate
the subject matter, lighting, and exposure controls, a camera
PCB routing is a highly subjective topic due to the myriad of operated by the click of novice may only yield a cheesy
various constraints which may be present within the PCB de- snapshot.
sign. Not only does the PCB layout be routed, it must perform.
Subjectivity aside, there are a few considerations which must For more, download The Hitchhikers Guide to PCB Design.

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