Documentation

Introduction

PCB Auto Router is an intelligent PCB auto-routing tool using GPU-accelerated algorithms, helping electronics engineers quickly complete complex circuit board routing. Whether you are working on a simple two-layer board or a high-density multilayer board, our tool provides high-quality routing solutions.

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: Up to 50 nets, 400 pads, 4 layers; differential pairs and length matching not supported
  • Pro: Unlimited access to all features

Installation

PCB Auto Router is a C++ desktop application supporting Windows and Linux. Download the installer and follow the setup wizard to complete installation.

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: Supports Windows 10/11
    • Linux: Supports 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. If Windows shows "Windows protected your PC", click "More info" then "Run anyway"
  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:The installer will automatically install required Visual C++ runtime libraries. If prompted for administrator privileges, click "Yes" to allow.

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. Or on some systems you can double-click the .deb package in Software Center to install
  4. After installation, you can find PCB Auto Router in the applications menu

Dependencies:Linux version requires OpenGL 3.3+ support. Please ensure your graphics driver is properly installed.

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

  • Supports 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:

  • Did you download the correct system version (Windows users should not download Linux version, and vice versa)
  • Windows users: Is the latest Windows update installed
  • Linux users: Do you have execute permission (chmod +x)
Missing DLL files?

Windows users please install the latest 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

    Complete component placement in your EDA tool (e.g. KiCad, JLCEDA) and ensure all nets are correctly connected.

  2. Export DSN File

    Export DSN format routing file from your EDA tool.

  3. Open File

    Launch PCB Auto Router, click 'Open File', and select your DSN design file.

  4. Configure Rules

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

  5. Start Routing

    Click the 'Start Routing' button. The software will perform routing calculations locally.

  6. Save Results

    After routing is complete, save the SES result file and import it into your EDA tool to review.

KiCad Plugin

PCB Auto Router provides a KiCad plugin that triggers auto-routing directly inside KiCad — no manual DSN export or SES import needed.

Install Plugin

  1. Download Plugin

    Go to the official website download page and download the KiCad plugin package (.zip).

  2. Open Extension Manager

    In KiCad main window or PCB editor, go to "Tools → Extension Manager", select "Install from File", choose the downloaded .zip and confirm.

  3. Restart KiCad

    Restart the KiCad PCB Editor after installation. The plugin will appear automatically in the top toolbar.

  4. Bind Shortcut Keys (Optional)

    No default shortcuts are assigned. Go to Preferences → Hotkeys, search "PCB Auto Router" and bind keys for auto route and single-net routing.

Usage

  • Auto Route

    Click the toolbar icon. The plugin syncs the current design and routes all nets, writing results directly back into KiCad.

  • Single Net Routing

    Select a net in the PCB editor and click the corresponding toolbar icon. The plugin routes only that net and writes it back incrementally without touching existing traces.

Note: On first use, the plugin automatically starts the PCB Auto Router process in the background. Make sure the software is installed correctly.

User Guide

Open Design File

After launching PCB Auto Router, click the "Open" button in the toolbar or select "File" → "Open" to choose your DSN design file. The software supports directly opening Specctra DSN format routing files.

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 to perform full auto-routing. During manual refinement, you can press F5 multiple times to assist and speed up routing. Each execution will continue to optimize based on existing routing results.

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: Set minimum spacing between traces. You can check 'Override Net Rules' to ignore net-specific rules from CAD.
  • 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: Enable GPU-accelerated collision detection to improve routing speed (requires graphics card supporting OpenGL 3.3)
  • Auto Calculate Trace Width: Automatically calculate appropriate trace width based on current routing environment

Save Results

After routing is complete, click the 'Save' button to save the result as an SES format file. Then import this SES file in your EDA tool to complete routing synchronization.

Routing Menu

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

  • Start Routing: Press F5 to start auto-routing
  • Stop Routing: Press F6 to stop ongoing routing
  • Clear Routing: Press Ctrl+R to clear all routed traces
  • 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 uses the unit settings directly from your CAD file. To change units, modify them in your CAD software and re-export the file.

Why doesn't trace spacing change take effect?

Because nets have their own routing clearance rules with higher priority, it is recommended to modify the net's routing clearance in your CAD source file, or enable the "Override Net Rules" option in PCB Auto Router.

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?

Free tier limits: up to 50 nets, 400 pads, 4 layers; differential pair routing and length matching not supported. Pro version has no such restrictions and provides access to all features.

EDA Tool

PCB Auto Router supports importing Specctra DSN format routing files. KiCad and JLCEDA have been tested and confirmed compatible. Other EDA tools that support DSN export (such as Altium Designer, Eagle, etc.) may also be compatible but have not been fully tested.

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

EasyEDA does not strictly restore the SES import as-is — it modifies the result according to its own DRC constraints. PCB Auto Router generally follows EasyEDA's rules and restricts users from overriding them directly. If you still encounter this issue, the recommended workaround is to manually correct the result inside EasyEDA.