Interconnect Routing

Spatial Packaging of Interconnected Components with Coupled Physical Interactions (SPI2) is an interdisciplinary project with the purpose of pushing the cutting edge of automated design tools. At its core, SPI2 problems involve the placement of both components and required interconnects inside 3D geometry. Additionally, these components and interconnects must obey some constraints. Possible physics constraints could include temperature limits or maximum electromagnetic interference. Additionally, the system must be possible to manufacture and maintain, which places limits on how and where components and interconnects can be placed. All of the constraints make finding solutions very difficult, but worthwhile, as there are many applications of SPI2 design. Altogether, SPI2 design problems present a very challenging, multi-faceted problem with many applications.

A key feature of SPI2 automated design tools is automated interconnect routing. Interconnects, such as wires, pipes, air ducts, etc., play an important role in any system, but also present a challenging problem in themselves. Paths for interconnects must be volume disjoint, and may be subject to other system constraints such as temperature, pressure, clearance, and repairability. Space and complex geometry constraints also further complicate finding valid paths for interconnects, as interconnects must often navigate through small, complex spaces, such as between the components of a car engine, or through the internals of a plane's airframe. Lastly, scale can play an important role as well. Routing interconnects for a chemical plant presents a very different problem than that of a car. Altogether, this makes finding paths for interconnects a very challenging problem, but one for which sampling based motion planning methods are well situated to solve.