Work done
- Preserved the required 38 mm × 28 mm rectangular PCB outline.
- Re-applied the required 4-layer stackup as a custom Standard 4 Layer setup, with the intended Signal / GND / Power / Signal architecture.
- Applied compact layout defaults with 0.15 mm trace width and 0.15 mm keepout to support the densest feasible routing attempt.
- Attempted dual-sided auto-placement with explicit edge constraints for J1, J2, J3, J4, J5, and J6, including the required opposite-edge placement intent for J4 GNSS U.FL and J5 LTE U.FL.
Success criteria review
- ✅ Board size remains fixed at 38 mm × 28 mm.
- ✅ 4-layer stackup setup was applied for the required Signal-GND-Power-Signal intent.
- ⚠️ Dual-sided placement was attempted, but the placement engine reported the design is physically over capacity.
- ❌ Full connector placement and compact dual-sided component distribution could not be completed because the footprint area is too large for the fixed board.
- ❌ Full routing could not be completed because no feasible collision-free placement exists yet.
Blocking issue
The current design has 53 components with total footprint area of about 1928 mm² on a 1064 mm² board, or about 181% fill. The placement engine reports this exceeds even practical dual-sided capacity and recommends at least about 47 mm × 35 mm. Keeping 38 mm × 28 mm while retaining all current footprints is therefore not feasible without reducing component size/count, changing large footprints, or accepting assembly/DRC violations.
Next steps
To proceed, choose one of these paths:
- Keep all components and increase the board to about 47 mm × 35 mm or larger, then I can place and route.
- Keep 38 mm × 28 mm and reduce footprint area by replacing large placeholders/connectors with smaller exact footprints or depopulating optional sections.
- Keep the current board and components only as a mechanical concept, then manually accept overlaps/violations for a non-manufacturable layout preview.