PCB Array Optimizer

An open-source desktop application for optimizing PCB panelization for manufacturing. Given a PCB size, spacing, rail widths, and a supplier's panel dimensions, the optimizer calculates the best array configurations ranked by panel utilization.

Features

• Calculate optimal PCB-to-array-to-panel configurations
• Support for rotation options at both PCB and array levels
• Multi-unit support (Imperial/Metric) with appropriate precision
• Configurable panel size templates for different PCB manufacturers
• Top results ranked by area utilization
• Interactive visualization popup (double-click a result row)
• PDF export with array graphic and detailed specifications
• Persistent user preferences (unit system, selected supplier panel)
• Cross-platform standalone executables (Linux & Windows)

Download

Pre-built executables are available from the Releases page — no Python installation required.

Development

Prerequisites

• Python 3.10+
• pip

Setup

# Create virtual environment
python3 -m venv venv
source venv/bin/activate  # On Windows: venv\Scripts\activate

# Install dependencies
pip install -r requirements.txt

# Run the application
python pcb_optimizer.py

# Run tests
pip install -r requirements-dev.txt
pytest

Building Standalone Executables

pip install pyinstaller

# Linux
pyinstaller pcb_optimizer_linux.spec --clean

# Windows
pyinstaller pcb_optimizer_windows.spec --clean

Executables are output to the dist/ directory.

License

MIT License