PCB placement

Get a placed board that fits your device, without hours of manual placement. Flux places the parts by function, next to the connectors and inside the enclosure outline. Flux is an AI hardware engineer. It places the board as one part of the complete device that you design.

Place components by function and keep the board aligned with the device that contains it.

An ESP32 board with its placement and routing prepared in Flux.

Plan the board and place components

Ask Flux to plan the board size, connector and I/O edges, layers, and component groups.

Set the board to 30 mm by 20 mm. Put the USB-C connector at the left edge and the sensor near the top edge.

Place the power stage near the USB-C input. Keep the decoupling capacitors next to their IC power pins.

Place the MCU, sensor, and radio by function. Keep the antenna area clear and the external connectors accessible.

Tell Flux the device dimensions, enclosure openings, mounting points, connector locations, and layer plan. Flux uses this context to plan the board outline and place components.

Ask Flux to check the placement against the board outline, component clearances, connector access, and the device envelope.

Check the placement against the enclosure outline. Keep the USB-C connector aligned with its opening and leave clearance around the mounting holes.

Place silkscreen labels with the components and assembly needs in mind.

Place the component designators beside their parts. Keep labels clear of pads and the enclosure opening.

For label placement, see Silkscreen. For manual component placement, layer changes, and routing, see Positioning and routing.

Run Auto Layout

Use Auto Layout in the PCB editor to place and route the board.

Open the PCB editor.
Select Auto Layout.
Review the resulting placement and routing.

For the routing workflow, see Route with Flux.

Fit the board in the device

Ask Flux to use the enclosure and other mechanical parts when it plans the board.

Place the board inside the enclosure. Align the USB-C connector with the side opening and keep the mounting holes over the standoffs.

Set the board outline to fit the device package. Keep the battery, sensor opening, and external connectors clear.

Add the board to the product assembly with its mounting holes, connector edges, and component models. See Assemblies and mechanisms for device fit and clearance.

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