Three-dimensional automatic routing for the design of moulded interconnect devices

One of the fundamental innovations in the field of mechatronics is the direct material integration of mechanical and electronic functions through using moulded interconnect devices (MID) technology. Unlike conventional circuit boards, they are not limited to two dimensions but offer the possibility to arbitrarily lay printed circuit traces on the surfaces of the three-dimensional carrier. Traditional 2D layout function in electronic computer aided design (ECAD), especially automatic routing algorithm cannot be directly applied in MID. In this article, two 3D routing algorithms with their own advantages and disadvantages are presented. The related 3D routing functions, which are not supported by conventional mechanic CAD (MCAD) and ECAD systems, have been integrated in the design system MIDCAD. With these 3D routing functions, MIDCAD enables a more effective product design based on the MID technology.