Documentation

Introduction

PCB Auto Router 是一款智能 PCB 自动布线工具，采用 GPU 加速算法， 帮助电子工程师快速完成复杂的电路板布线工作。无论您是处理简单的双层板 还是高密度多层板，我们的工具都能为您提供高质量的布线方案。

Key Features

  • GPU accelerated algorithms, significantly improved routing speed
  • Supports advanced routing features such as differential pairs and length matching (Pro)
  • Compatible with major EDA tool file formats
  • High-performance local processing, protecting your design privacy
  • Flexible rule configuration system

Version

  • Free: 最多 50 个网络、400 个焊盘、4 层板，不支持差分对和等长匹配
  • Pro: Unlimited access to all features

Installation

PCB Auto Router 是一款 C++ 开发的桌面应用程序，支持 Windows 和 Linux 系统。 本指南将帮助您完成软件的下载、安装和初始配置。

1. Download Software

Please visit our official website to download the latest version:

  1. Visit the official website homepage and click the "Download" button in the navigation bar
  2. Select the appropriate installer for your operating system:
    • Windows: 下载 .exe 安装程序（支持 Windows 10/11 64位）
    • Linux: 下载 .deb 安装包（支持 Ubuntu 20.04+ / Debian 11+）
  3. Wait for the download to complete and prepare for installation

Supports Windows 10/11

  1. Double-click the downloaded .exe installer
  2. 如果系统提示"Windows 已保护你的电脑"，点击"更多信息"，然后点击"仍要运行"
  3. Follow the installation wizard, select installation path (default is recommended)
  4. Choose whether to create desktop and start menu shortcuts
  5. Click "Install" and wait for installation to complete
  6. After installation, click "Finish" to exit the installer

Note:安装程序会自动安装所需的 Visual C++ 运行时库。如果安装过程中提示需要管理员权限，请点击"是"允许。

3. Linux Installation

  1. Open terminal and navigate to the download directory
  2. Install the .deb package (Ubuntu/Debian example): 
    sudo dpkg -i pcbautorouter_*.deb
sudo apt-get install -f
  3. 或者在某些系统上可以使用软件中心直接双击安装 .deb 包
  4. 安装完成后，可以在应用程序菜单中找到 PCB Auto Router

Dependencies:Linux 版本需要 OpenGL 3.3+ 支持，请确保您的显卡驱动已正确安装。

4. First Launch and Activation

  1. Double-click the desktop shortcut or launch from Start menu
  2. On first launch, the software will check system environment and graphics card support
  3. If you see the login screen, the software is running correctly
  4. Free version can be used directly; Pro version requires login and activation:
    • Click the "Login" button and sign in with your registered account
    • Or click "Register" to create a new account
    • After logging in, the software will automatically activate your subscription
  5. After successful activation, you can start using all features

System Requirements

  • 操作系统：Windows 10/11、Ubuntu 20.04+ / Debian 11+
  • RAM: Minimum 4GB, 8GB+ recommended
  • Graphics: OpenGL 3.3 or higher required
  • Disk: At least 500MB free space
  • Network: Internet connection required for account login and activation verification

FAQ

Installer won't start?

Please check:

  • 是否下载了正确的系统版本（Windows 用户不要下载 Linux 版本，反之亦然）
  • Windows users: Is the latest Windows update installed
  • Linux users: Do you have execute permission (chmod +x)
Missing DLL files?

Windows 用户请安装最新的 Visual C++ Redistributable：Download

Black screen or crash after startup?

Possible graphics driver issues:

  • Update graphics driver to the latest version
  • Graphics: OpenGL 3.3 or higher required
  • For integrated graphics, ensure sufficient video memory is allocated
Can't login or activation failed?

Please check:

  • Is network connection normal
  • Are account and password correct (case-sensitive)
  • Have you registered an account on the official website
  • Is the firewall blocking the software's network access

First Route

Follow these steps to complete your first auto-route:

  1. Prepare Design Files

    在您的 EDA 工具（如 KiCad、嘉立创 EDA 等）中完成元件布局，确保所有网络已正确连接。

  2. Export DSN File

    Export DSN format routing file from your EDA tool.

  3. Open File

    启动 PCB Auto Router，点击"打开文件"，选择您的 DSN 设计文件。

  4. Configure Rules

    Set routing rules based on your design requirements, or use the default settings.

  5. Start Routing

    点击"开始布线"按钮或按 F5 键，软件将在本地完成布线计算。按 F6 键可随时停止布线。

  6. Save Results

    布线完成后，保存 SES 结果文件并导入您的 EDA 工具查看。

KiCad Plugin

PCB Auto Router 提供 KiCad 插件，支持在 KiCad 内直接触发自动布线，无需手动导出 DSN / 导入 SES，大幅简化工作流。

Install Plugin

  1. Download Plugin

    前往官网下载页面，下载 KiCad 插件安装包（.zip）。

  2. Open Extension Manager

    在 KiCad 主界面或 PCB 编辑器中，点击菜单 "工具 → 扩展内容管理器"，选择"从文件安装"，选中下载的 .zip 文件并确认安装。

  3. Restart KiCad

    安装完成后重启 KiCad PCB 编辑器，插件会自动出现在顶部工具栏中。

  4. Bind Shortcut Keys (Optional)

    插件不内置默认快捷键，如需使用，可进入 "偏好设置 → 快捷键"，搜索 "PCB Auto Router" 自行为全自动布线和单网络布线绑定快捷键。

Usage

  • Auto Route

    点击工具栏图标，插件将自动同步当前设计并完成所有网络的布线，结果直接写回 KiCad，无需手动操作。

  • Single Net Routing

    在 PCB 编辑器中选中目标网络，点击对应工具栏图标，插件仅对选中网络进行布线并增量写回，不影响已有布线。

注意：首次使用时插件会在后台自动启动 PCB Auto Router 进程，请确保软件已正确安装。

User Guide

Open Design File

启动 PCB Auto Router 后，点击工具栏的"打开"按钮或选择"文件"→"打开"，选择您的 DSN 设计文件。软件支持直接打开 Specctra DSN 格式的布线文件。

Routing Actions

Single Net Routing

Keyboard Shortcuts Ctrl + Left Click the desired net to route it step by step. This method is suitable for manually handling individual unfinished nets after auto-routing.

Auto Route

Keyboard Shortcuts F5 可以进行全自动布线。在手动细节修改过程中，可以多次执行 F5 辅助加速布线。每次执行都会基于当前已有的布线结果继续优化。

Via Operation Instructions

Ctrl + Shift + Left click on a via to pick up the via. While holding a via, use Ctrl + Shift + left click on a pad (Pin) or wire to pick up its net and update the via to that net.

Free forever Alt + left click to place a via at the cursor position.

Set Routing Rules

In the 'Rules' menu, you can set the following parameters:

  • Trace Spacing: 设置导线之间的最小间距，可勾选"覆盖网络规则"来忽略 CAD 中的网络特定规则
  • Edge Clearance: Set clearance between traces and PCB boundary

Differential pair rules

In the 'Routing' menu, select 'Differential Pair Management' to:

  • Set differential pair net pairing
  • Group differential pairs (pairs in the same group will be length-matched)
  • Enable or disable length matching

Note: Differential pair and length matching features are only available in Pro version.

Advanced Options

In the 'Advanced' menu, you can configure the following options:

  • GPU Collision Detection: 启用 GPU 加速的碰撞检测，提升布线速度（需要支持 OpenGL 3.3 的显卡）
  • Auto Calculate Trace Width: Automatically calculate appropriate trace width based on current routing environment

Save Results

布线完成后，点击"保存"按钮将结果保存为 SES 格式文件。然后在您的 EDA 工具中导入此 SES 文件即可完成布线同步。

Routing Menu

In the 'Routing' menu, you can use the following features:

  • Start Routing: 按 F5 键开始自动布线
  • Stop Routing: 按 F6 键停止正在进行的布线
  • Clear Routing: 按 Ctrl+R 清除所有已布导线
  • Optimize Traces: Optimize the paths of routed traces
  • Differential pair rules: Configure differential pair and length matching settings

View & Panels

Right Panel

  • Layer Control: Show/hide routing layers
  • Info Panel: Display layer count, component count, unconnected nets, and currently selected net name

Daily Tips

Start with full auto-routing. There will always be some unconnected nets remaining. You can use the following techniques to fix them:

Fixing Techniques

  • Set Routing Rules：Modify routing rules to reduce clearance, then press F5 to re-route. This usually completes all connections.
  • Swap Order：If some areas are not connected but you can see that swapping the order would help, manually select the incorrectly ordered traces, then Ctrl+Left click on the unconnected net to route it. Then Ctrl+Left click on the previously deleted net to restore and route it.
  • Manual Route：If some areas feel too narrow or cramped, manually drag the existing traces to adjust them, then press F5 or Ctrl+Left click to complete the remaining unrouted nets.
  • Delete：If some routes seem to take unnecessary detours, you can also delete or drag existing traces to manually optimize them.

Technique Demo

Performance Tips

  • Lower Routing Precision：Lowering routing precision greatly speeds up large board routing, but may cause minor rule violations or reduce completion rate — recommended for quick previews.

Place Via

We encourage users to manually place vias rather than relying on the algorithm to guess. In your workflow, you can first use F5 auto-routing to complete most of the routing, then manually place vias, and continue with F5 or Ctrl+Left click until you complete your design.

Keyboard Shortcuts

Keyboard Shortcuts Available Features
F5 Start Routing
F6 Stop Routing
Ctrl + O Export DSN File
Ctrl + S Export SES
Ctrl + R Clear Routing
R Reset View
Arrow Keys Pan View
Scroll Wheel Zoom View
Left Click Select Net
Ctrl + Left Click Manual Route
Alt + Left Click Place Via
Ctrl + Shift + Left Click Pick Via

FAQ

What if routing fails?

We don't guarantee 100{}outing success, but routable results are close to manual routing quality. If routing fails, try the following:

  • Design rules are too strict - try relaxing constraints
  • Component placement is too dense - consider optimizing layout
  • Set smaller trace spacing for easier routing
How to change units?

PCB Auto Router 直接使用 CAD 文件中的单位设置。如需修改单位，请在您的 CAD 软件中更改，然后重新导出文件。

Why doesn't trace spacing change take effect?

因为网络有自己的布线间距规则，它的优先级通常更高。这种情况建议去 CAD 源文件中修改网络的布线间距，或者在 PCB Auto Router 中勾选"覆盖网络规则"选项。

How to optimize routing quality?

You can improve routing quality by:

  • Setting appropriate routing priorities
  • Reserving enough space for critical signals
  • Using differential pair rules to protect high-speed signals
What's the difference between Subscription and Perpetual?

免费版限制：最多 50 个网络、400 个焊盘、4 层板，不支持差分对布线和等长匹配功能。专业版无这些限制，可使用全部功能。

EDA Tool

PCB Auto Router 支持导入 Specctra DSN 格式的布线文件。目前已测试支持 KiCad 和嘉立创 EDA。其他支持导出 DSN 格式的 EDA 工具（如 Altium Designer、Eagle 等）也可能兼容，但未经过充分测试。

Why do vias get larger or traces get thicker after importing into EasyEDA?

嘉立创 (EasyEDA) 不会严格按照 SES 结果还原内容，它会按照自身的 DRC 约束对导入结果进行修改。PCB Auto Router 通常会严格遵守嘉立创的规则，并限制用户在软件内直接修改这些规则。如果仍然遇到此问题，建议在嘉立创 (EasyEDA) 中手动修正为期望的结果。