PCB Routing Software With an AI Hardware Engineer Built In
Flux is an AI hardware engineer that learns from professionally routed boards and routes like an experienced designer, eliminating hours of manual work while respecting your design intent.
Flux reimagines schematic capture with an AI hardware engineer built in.
AI-powered PCB routing software changes the equation. Instead of brute-force algorithms, modern routers learn from real designs. Flux's AI Auto Layout is trained on thousands of professionally routed boards, from IoT devices to medical equipment. It understands trace planning, layer transitions, signal integrity constraints, and manufacturing limits.
Describe: Schematic Entry
Turn your circuit into a netlist. Flux's schematic editor captures component connections, net names, and electrical properties. You define what gets routed, not how. Import your schematic from KiCad or Altium. Assign footprints and create your net classes.
Example: “Design a BLE beacon with an accelerometer and temperature sensor.” Flux returns a ready-to-edit schematic in seconds.
Design: PCB Layout and Routing
Place components. Define layer stackup. Route traces. This is where routing software matters most. You'll hand-route critical nets (power delivery, high-speed signals, sensitive analog), then let AI Auto Layout handle the rest. Get a complete, DRC-clean routing pass in minutes instead of days.
Hand-route the critical 20%. AI routes the other 80%.
Manufacture: Design Export
Prepare for fabrication. Assign design rules per your manufacturer (JLCPCB, PCBWay, Osh Park). Generate Gerbers. Flux outputs standard manufacturing files and integrates directly with partner fab houses. No manual DRC cleanup. No surprises at the factory.
Your files. Your manufacturer. No lock-in.
What Makes PCB Routing Hard (And How Flux Solves It)
Schematic capture is a critical phase in hardware design. Here are common challenges engineers face, and how Flux approaches them differently.
Problem 1: Traditional Autorouters Need Significant Cleanup
Traditional autorouters (Altium's, SPECCTRA) use algorithmic path-finding to complete routes quickly. They're effective at filling in connections, but the results often need manual refinement for signal integrity, via placement, and trace organization. For complex boards, post-autorouter cleanup can take significant time.
How Flux solves it: AI Auto Layout is trained on professionally routed boards. First pass is 80% done and clean enough to iterate on.
Problem 2: Manual PCB Routing Takes Forever
Even experienced engineers spend 2-3 days routing a 6-layer board. You route one critical net, realize it blocks another, backtrack, reroute, check clearances, optimize via placement. For a 2,000-net design, this is time-consuming work that requires patience and precision.
How Flux solves it: Hand-route your critical 20%. AI handles the remaining 80%.
Problem 3: No Intelligence About Net Types and Constraints
Not all nets are equal. Some need controlled impedance. Some must be length-matched. Some are analog and need isolation. Most routing tools treat every net as the same: find a path, avoid collisions, done. You have to manually enforce signal integrity rules, which is slow and error-prone.
How Flux solves it: Define net classes and routing rules. AI Auto Layout respects them during routing.
Problem 4: Routing Across Team Members Is Impossible
If two engineers both work on the same board, synchronizing changes can be challenging. Most teams route serially: one person routes, hands off the file, waits for feedback. Parallel routing across team members is difficult with file-based workflows.
How Flux solves it: Real-time multiplayer routing. Multiple engineers route the same board simultaneously. Assign analog, digital, and power to different people. Changes sync live.
Problem 5: Routing Tools Cost $10K+ and Require IT Setup
Professional routing tools like Altium Designer, Cadence Allegro, and Mentor Graphics are excellent and feature-rich. License costs start at $5K/year for a single seat, with specialized modules adding to the total. These tools are great investments for teams that need the full feature depth, but the cost can be prohibitive for smaller teams and startups.
How Flux solves it: Browser-based plans include AI routing. See current pricing.
AI Auto Layout: Routing Like a Hardware Engineer
PCB routing is one of the most time-consuming parts of hardware design. Flux's AI Auto Layout changes that. This isn't a black-box autorouter. It's an AI hardware engineer trained on professionally routed boards, taught to understand your design.
AI-Powered Design Assistance
Flux AI handles part research, schematic generation, component placement, routing, and design rule checks. Describe what you want to build, and AI delivers a starting point you can refine.
Schematic Capture
Create and edit schematics with a full component library. Every change syncs instantly to your PCB layout, keeping your design consistent throughout.
PCB Layout and Routing
Place components, define board outlines, and route traces with AI assistance. Flux supports multi-layer designs with impedance-aware routing and real-time DRC.
Live Component Data
Design with real-time inventory, pricing, and alternate part suggestions. Your BOM is always sourced and ready to order.
SPICE Simulation
Validate your design before manufacturing with built-in SPICE simulation. Test circuits, verify parameters, and catch issues early.
Cloud Collaboration
Work with your team in real time on the same schematic and layout. Built-in version control, comments, and role-based permissions keep everyone aligned.
How Flux Compares to Traditional Autorouters
Legacy EDA
Desktop install required
100% Browser-based
Design alone, email files
Real-time multiplayer
No AI assistance
AI help built-in
Manual part research
Live inventory
Need separate tools
All-in-one platform
$10K+/seat licenses
Free to start
Why are engineers switch to Flux
Loved by engineers pushing hardware design forward.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Is PCB Routing Software?
PCB routing software is the tool that connects components on your circuit board. It places traces between pads, manages layers, respects electrical rules, and produces manufacturing-ready designs.
For decades, routing was primarily manual work. Engineers drew each trace by hand, resolving conflicts and optimizing for signal integrity. Then autorouters arrived (Altium's, SPECCTRA, and others), offering a way to complete routing faster.
These tools work well for simpler designs, though complex boards often require significant manual refinement after autorouting. Engineers developed workflows combining autorouters with hand-tuning to get the best results.AI-powered PCB routing software changes the equation.
Instead of brute-force algorithms, modern routers learn from real designs. Flux's AI Auto Layout is trained on thousands of professionally routed boards, from IoT devices to medical equipment.
It understands trace planning, layer transitions, signal integrity constraints, and manufacturing limits. It's intelligent. It treats routing like an engineer would.
Does Flux have an autorouter?
Yes. Flux's AI Auto Layout is an AI-powered router trained on professionally routed boards. It uses reinforcement learning rather than traditional path-finding algorithms. The result is routing that understands signal integrity and design intent, producing usable results on the first pass.
How does AI routing compare to traditional autorouters?
Traditional autorouters use grid-based path finding and are very fast at completing routes. For complex boards, the results often need manual refinement for signal integrity and trace organization. Flux's AI Auto Layout is trained on professionally routed boards and produces results that need less cleanup. The tradeoff is per-iteration speed (seconds vs. minutes) versus total time-to-done.
Can AI route high-speed designs?
Yes. AI Auto Layout handles high-speed differential pairs, impedance-controlled traces, and length-matched nets. You hand-route your critical high-speed signals for full control, then let AI route the remaining nets while respecting your impedance and length-match rules. Perfect for DDR3, USB 3.0, and LVDS designs.
Does Flux support impedance control?
Yes, on Pro plan and above. Define your target impedance per net class (single-ended or differential). AI Auto Layout routes while maintaining your impedance targets. Flux calculates trace width and spacing automatically based on your stackup.
Can I route differential pairs in Flux?
Yes. Flux's AI Auto Layout understands differential pair routing. Assign nets as differential pairs in your schematic. Set your impedance target. AI routes both traces with matched length, appropriate spacing, and layer transitions. You control which pairs hand-route, which the AI routes.
What layer counts does Flux support?
Flux supports designs from 2 layers up to 8 layers. 4-layer and 6-layer boards are most common. Larger designs need more layers. Flux's AI Auto Layout works on any layer count, automatically planning layer transitions and via placement.
What if I get stuck?
In-app chat with real engineers, documentation, YouTube tutorials, and direct support via help@flux.ai. Common issues like DRC violations and import problems are well-documented.
How does AI Auto Layout actually work?
AI Auto Layout is used actively by 66-75% of Flux paying users, and they keep paying because it delivers real time savings. The AI is trained on thousands of professionally routed boards and uses reinforcement learning to optimize placement and routing. You can accept all suggestions, override specific ones, or turn it off entirely. It's a tool that respects your expertise while handling the repetitive work.
What do I need to get started?
A modern browser (Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Edge) and an internet connection. Sign up, start your 14-day free trial, and open the editor. Tutorials are built in.
