WEAVER: A Knowledge-Based Routing Expert

WEAVER, a channel/switchbox knowledge-based routing program, simultaneously considers all the important routing metrics including 100 percent routability, minimum routing area, minimum wire length, and the minimum number of vias. It allows prerouted nets and user interaction throughout the entire routing process, while relaxing the unnecessary contraints of assigning different directions¿constraints imposed by all of the current channel and switchbox routers. A grid-based router using two interconnection layers, WEAVER can be easily expanded to route any shape routing area such as T or +. Implemented in OPSS, a production system language, WEAVER routinely produces routings requiring less area than routers that focus on a single routing metric.