I'd like propose a new term. "cost-based constraints" It particularly applies to high speed differential... especially after reading all the comments on "Diff Pairs." There are very few hard and fast if-you-do-this-it-breaks rules any more. Hence the job is to come up with a cost function for all your design constraints and develop an optimized solution. I think I just described what seasoned SI engineers do in our heads. I'd like to see a tool help with this. One problem I'm having trouble with is that I haven't discovered a layout tool that is cost based rather than enforcer based. Maybe some of y'all have come across one that does this. ... Rich Mellitz Intel Corporation Columbia, SC ------------------------------------------------------------------ To unsubscribe from si-list: si-list-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with 'unsubscribe' in the Subject field or to administer your membership from a web page, go to: //www.freelists.org/webpage/si-list For help: si-list-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with 'help' in the Subject field List archives are viewable at: //www.freelists.org/archives/si-list or at our remote archives: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/si-list/messages Old (prior to June 6, 2001) list archives are viewable at: http://www.qsl.net/wb6tpu