Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1536171
16 DESIGN007 MAGAZINE I JUNE 2025 good enough to shi the design forward while they focus on the high-priority nets. e truth is, many designers feel like they're being graded on their artwork—but in production, it's man- ufacturability, timing, and performance that really matter. What's changed recently is how AI is start- ing to close that last-mile gap. It can now rec- ognize repeating layout patterns and apply consistent routing strategies. It can transfer constraints and layout intent from one area to another. It can understand whether a trace width is driven by impedance control or cur- rent-carrying needs. It can also learn why cer- tain features exist and maintain those priorities during cleanup. Is the setup getting easier? Yes, setup is absolutely getting easier. at's been one of our top priorities. e new AIPR routing tools are designed with simplicity in mind. Instead of requiring deep menu diving or rule scripting, we've created a clean, light- weight interface. It's just a small window with five or six intuitive controls. ese let users quickly manage the high-level routing strategy without needing to define every detail up front. is kind of setup appeals not only to sea- soned PCB designers, but also to hardware engineers and team leads who want to keep projects moving without getting bogged down in setup tasks. It speeds up the design flow, reduces the onboarding curve, and makes auto- routing more approachable for the entire team. You can start simple, apply broad strokes, and let the AI refine as you go. e tool grows with your needs, without slowing you down. e goal is to get better results with far less setup. Today's routing tools, especially those enhanced with AI, can use more of the design's existing intelligence to make smarter decisions automatically. When a schematic includes con- straints and annotations that carry through to layout, it enables more efficient placement and routing from the start. e more information we can forward- annotate into the PCB, the more the tools can do on their own. As designs are processed, that data becomes part of what we call the brain, a growing knowledge base that learns not just the rules but also when it's okay to bend them to serve performance goals. What should designers be thinking about as they use autorouters? ink about questions like: "Should this trace width follow impedance or current-carrying rules?" "Is it acceptable to route under this spe- cific component type?" "Can I use free-angle routing to cleanly escape a pad and avoid an acid trap?" "Should I manage skew for this dif- ferential pair at the driver end only?" Design- ers make decisions like these every day. Now, we're training the tools to make them too, based on real-world patterns. Looking ahead, this intelligence will be cru- cial as we manage more complex networks like DDRx. e brain will remember successful routing strategies and be able to reapply them automatically in future designs. Parameters for EMC, DFM, and high-speed signal integrity