Quilter evaluates and ranks PCB layout candidates by considering multiple criteria to ensure the optimal balance of manufacturability, performance, and efficiency. The main factors include:
Completion:
Fully routed designs without DRC (Design Rule Check) violations are prioritized.
Physics Rule Checks (PRCs):
Layouts successfully meeting critical physics constraints (e.g., impedance control, differential pairs, high-current handling) rank higher.
Manufacturability:
Candidates using conservative and broadly manufacturable design rules—such as larger trace widths, more generous spacing, and fewer layers—are preferred.
Efficiency:
Among equally compliant layouts, Quilter favors those with shorter total routing lengths.
Within the Quilter Candidate Review interface, you can sort results by different priorities, including “Recommended,” “Best PRCs,” “Easiest to Fab,” or “Fewest Layers,” allowing you to quickly select the candidate that best fits your specific project goals.
You can learn more about our recommendation algorithms in our documentation, here.