An Investigation of PWB Layout by Genetic Algorithms to Maximize Fatigue Life

Abstract

Thermal considerations in printed wiring board (PWB) assemblies are becoming increasingly important as packaging constraints shrink and power use escalates. In this paper, we provide a study on the potential for a genetic algorithm-driven PWB layout design tool to improve the thermal performance of such assemblies. As a case study, the thermomechanical fatigue of surface mounted leadless chip carriers on an FR4 epoxy board is used. We have found that by utilizing appropriate formula-based engineering approximations, the efficiency of parallel implementations of genetic algorithms in finding near-optimal and results makes this approach effective as an explorative “scouting” approach to identify promising board configurations for more computationally expensive evaluations such as finite element method.